GUADALAJARA, Mexico – Patrick Rizzo of Team USA finished eighth in the men’s marathon in two hours, 21 minutes, 58 seconds on the final day of competition at the XVI Pan American Games Sunday.

So many fun things to do and hear at the Rock n Roll Denver Marathon and Half Marathon Health and Fitness Expo on Friday and Saturday.

Stop by the Brooks Running Cavalcade of Curiosities where you can win prizes at Skee ball, win shoes, have your gait analyzed and see how their special Brooks DNA allows the Jesus Lizard to walk across liquid. In between visiting the vendors stop to listen to a solid lineup of speakers scheduled.

Saturday’s Events

11am Running the Edge: Adam Goucher

US Olympian Adam Goucher talks about his life in running and his new book, Running the Edge: Discover the Secrets to Better Running and a Better Life. Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/runtheedge

12pm  Kara Goucher, presented by Nutrilite

Join Olympian Kara Goucher for an in-depth discussion about running tips, motherhood and her new book. After the clinic, Kara will be available to sign autographs in the Nutrilite Booth

1pm  13.1 Ways to Run Like a Mother, by Sof Sole

Practical and inspirational tips for maximizing race-day performance and enjoyment from authors Dimity McDowell and Sarah Bowen Shea of Run Like  Mother. Dimity and Sarah will be available before and after the clinic to sign autographs in the Sof Sole booth

2pm  Panel of Experts

Learn how to prepare yourself for running at altitude from the experts, two-time American Olympian Alan Culpepper, two-time New Zealand Olympian Michael Aish, and former 10k world record holder Arturo Barrios

3pm  Pace Teams

Runners Edge of the Rockies will discuss basic pace strategies and race day logistics for running with a pace group

I’ve been collecting and planning for the last few weeks, looking to solidify my race schedule for 2011. Then I’ve been meaning to post the schedule for the last 2 weeks, but just haven’t been able to get around to it. **

I have set some specific time goals in my mind for this year in all race distances from the Mile to the Marathon. As part of the Fleet Feet Boulder Master’s team I plan on getting out and representing as much as possible. That being said, remaining healthy this year will be the number one goal, improving my fitness and lowering my race goals will be #2.

Yet, I post this schedule with hesitancy, because as I write this I feel a pain in my right 5th metatarsal, something that came about at the end of an easy run yesterday. I felt the pain a few weeks ago, but ran on it the next day in a “normal” running shoe with little instance and have felt nothing since then. I’ve done hard workouts, long runs, runs on trails and in snow.

If it manifests itself, this will be the 3rd fractured metatarsal in as many years (I’ve never broken anything before). I planned on keeping up with some level of cross training throughout the year (Water Running, Cycling, Gym)** but it looks like I need to jump back into it head first over the next few weeks in order to get to my first race of the year: Cross Country Nationals Feb 5, in San Diego, CA #XCNats

** My post on Goals for 2011 will contain my plan of cross training, fitness goals, being social, general well being and procrastination will be posted in the near future.

So with all that, here is my best laid plan for the time being. I will modify as I feel strong and when opportunity presents itself. (Some races don’t have dates yet here, as there is either no info yet, or I just didn’t get it yet.)

Schedule

Legend: Considering  | “A” Race
Jan
15 Fast and Flurry-ous

* I am going to pass on this one because of my foot, but really wanted to get in there and get the feel of the race again

Feb

5 XCountry National Champs
**This is a huge race and I could put all sorts of pressure around it, but I plan on going out, running as hard as I can, supporting Fleet Feet Boulder and just enjoying racing again.

20 Frozen Foot 5k

March
13 Running of the Green
19 Canyonlands Half Marathon

May
1 Cherry Creek Sneak
30 Bolder Boulder

June
5 Steamboat Half Marathon
9 Uni HIll 2k
12 Sunrise Stampede
12 Garden of the Gods 10mi
Lyons River Run
24-26 Health and Fit Blog Conference in Boulder, CO http://fitnessbloggersconference.org/

July
4 Scar Top Mtn Run
4 Superior Downhill Mile
4 Avery 4mile – for beer
Roger’s River Run
BRR Track Meet
21 West End 3k
30 CTC Corporate Challenge

Aug
11 Pearl Street Mile
14 Georgetown To Idaho Springs

Sept
Park to Park 10 miler
Neder Nederland

Oct
CU Shootout
Red Rock Ramble
9 Denver Marathon

Nov
Twin Peaks XC Challenge
Turkey Trots

Dec
Colder Boulder

—-

I will also be volunteering at a few events this year. What does your schedule look like? Looking forward to seeing many of you at the races!

3 am is a god awful time to wake up in the morning especially if you are not running.

I arrived in Downtown Denver a little after 4:15. As I pulled to the side of the road adjacent to the lot I parked last year (just north of the Capital), I checked my phone for the directions I received as a volunteer. The bluish glow of the screen must have acted as a beacon of confusion to the woman passing by. She tapped my window, I rolled it down. “Are you looking for media parking?” she asked. I replied without hesitation, “Yes, I am, but I forgot to print out the email”. She then produced a nice yellow sign from her bag as she mentioned that she had an extra and added with a kind smile, “You looked like a confused media person” (is it that obvious?). I thanked her then proceeded around the block to park in the lot.

Off to a pretty good start.

The volunteer check in was located behind a giant row of port-o-lets on the south west corner of Civic Center park next to the Stadium. Medium shirt, check, name tag, check. Stand around and wait to get picked like a kid for kickball, check. I just happened to be standing near 2 other lost souls looking for a chance to help when the lead coordinator Michelle pointed at the three of us and assigned us to the VIP area. Excellent!

At first we helped with putting out the drinks for the VIPs and some general set up, but by 5:30 myself and Katie were positioned at the entrance “tagging and bagging” as we called it: handing out wrist bands placing special dots on bibs, so that all Media, Staff and Elites could come and exit as they wished.

The Rock ‘n’ Roll group has this dialed. Heaters, lots of catered food, a bag check, a place for kids to hang out and get all sugared up. I think the only thing that would have made it cooler was a “live” feed of the finish. Lame I know, hey, they do it at the ball parks! But seriously, the VIP was just across a sidewalk and with the multitudes lining the finishing shoot, it was hard to get a glimpse of some of the finishers as they came blazing in.

I recognized a fair amount of the small elite field as some were “regulars” like Mike Aish, Andrew Letherby, and a few others. I joked with Frank Shorter as he came through and asked if he was running and he retorted that with his new hip, the Dr. hasn’t released him to run that far just yet. I recognized one man as he came through but couldn’t quite put a name to the face. He was tall and obviously athletic. Turns out it was the Bachelorette’s Ryan Sutter, for all you star craving fans.

Our shift was relieved around 7:30 and I took the opportunity to grab a small bite and some drink before heading out for a jog to see if I could find any friends on the course. As I moved through the crowd, I saw fellow team mate GZ sprint by with a gallant finish and ran over to congratulate him. After a few words of congrats and sharing a few stories, he headed out to the course as he was looking for a friend to pace in.

A few moments later I recognized the bright yellow jersey of Geoff in the finishers shoot who ran a smart race by listening to his twinges and paced appropriately.

I took my time jogging along the final stretch to cheer random people on with my ING cowbell, and look for folks I might know. By the time I made it out to the the final turn for both races I believe it was past 2:00 on the clock and figured I better head down the marathon course backwards if I was to catch a glimpse of Michael Aish coming in and watch the lead race unfold.

As I approached the 25mi mark a young cheerleading squad was practicing in anticipation of the runners passing by and just about that time the lead vehicle came through announcing that “Mike” would be there any moment. I waited with the squad to try and capture the moment. When we finally could see the blinking cop lights crest the hill, we knew he was close behind and the girls brought their cheers to a frezied pitch. Although his expression remained focused on the task, I am sure he was smiling inside to hear them cheering him on, running most of the race solo, and knowing the finish was closing in.

I choked out a few words of encouragement as he passed, he did the same for last year’s winner Chris Seimers, although I know he really was just out for a hard training run.

Continuing on along the course, keeping an eye out for the next runner, I recalled some of my memories from this lonely stretch of the course when I ran it last in 2006. The streets were deserted save the volunteers at the water station and the nonchalant police officer at each intersection. It wasn’t for at least a mile until the number two runner came through, then slowly the numbers increased exponentially.

A right turn took me west up and over 8th avenue, a bridge over a rail yard. Tired runners continued to plod towards me as went up, crested and made my way down the other side of the bridge, I kept thinking to myself, ‘Man, this is a tough hill at this point in the race’ looking for the bottom and wondering where the course had come from. Before I knew it, I was at the bottom of the hill where 2 volunteers were stationed outside of the turnaround cones yelling “23.5″. I stopped for a second to chat with them as I couldn’t believe this was a short out and back section to make up a mile on the course. Out and backs are brutal mentally on a marathon course, especially the closer you get to the finish, but to go up and over the bridge… I can only imagine.

I started back up the hill with the runners at this point, figuring this would get me an easy 6 miles for the day. A few moments later, a fellow dropped a plastic gel bottle. I said aloud, as he slowly crouched down to retrieve the distraction “Ouch, That’s not going to be easy for those legs to keep moving after that” I hope it didn’t sound as snarky at the time, but it did open a quick dialog as we continued up and over the hill. He introduced himself as Wade and I returned with mine, then he jokingly put out there, “You should pace me in”. Well I was heading in that direction, so I of course I said ok.

I tried to keep the banter to a minimum while encouraging him to keep the stride smooth, stay focused, to “Let’s go pass that guy in orange, I can see he’s fading”. The next mile seemed tough but relaxed, then as we made the turn just after 25 we focused in on catching a few more. I ran ahead to try and get the cheerleaders to give encouragement and started a Wade chant, then caught back up with him as he flew through there with a huge smile on his face.

Just another mile to go, we could see the crowd building around the turn into the final stretch and we put that in our sights. I don’t think the hill to the turn even phased him, knowing the end was close. He had 3 hours as an initial goal coming into the race, but realized before I met up with him, that was out the window, but as we approached the 26mi clock we could see he was on pace for a sub 3:10. The crowds gathering along the course at this point were tighter and created a bulding corridor of sound leading into the final stretch. As we approached the turn, I repeatedly raised my arms in an attempt to get a few more cheers for him before looking his way and cheered “go get it, this is it, you are there”. I slowed down after the turn and let him take control of his finishing kick. His stride longer, elevated by the finish line in the distance and the growing cheers of the crowd.

I jogged through the finish line to the side and met him again just after he got his medal and had a chance to catch his breath. Shaking hands, he had a well earned ear-to-ear grin on his face, after putting together a solid Boston Qualifying race: 3:08 and change. I encouraged him to get a hug from the hug ladies and we snapped a picture at the end to capture the moment. Wishing him well and another congratulations, I made my way through the finish line crowds looking for others I might recognize.

I must have just missed a few runners like Stew who also scored a BQ and JP who finished his first marathon, during that time as they came through the line within minutes after that.

Back out on the course I followed it in reverse again looking for familiar faces. The last band on the course marked the start of the hill that climbed about 800 meters back up 26mi and the final turn. The hill proved to be arduous and brought a few, who were already questioning their task at hand to a walk. That was my cue. I would just slowly jog up to them, give em a big smile and say something to the effect of: ‘lets go, the finish is right there’, ‘you can do it’ or ‘I know it’s hard, but you are almost done’. Most times this would result in a smile back and a reluctant return to running again. Each time we got to the top, I would do my hand raising routine and pull a few more cheers from the crowd. Just before the turn, I would give them one last ‘You’ve got this, enjoy it’ before peeling off into the crowd and returning back down the hill to pick up the next one.

With my personal time allocation quickly slipping away, I knew I had to head back home. But before I could do so I stood at the top of that hill and high-fived as many runners as I could. We’ve all been there, the end of a race that seemed like it would never end, then just before the final sprint you realize you have made it and how much you have accomplished. It was amazing to be on the other end of that and to see that look in peoples faces and form, elated, broken, exhausted, and thrilled.

I can’t tell if I am more inspired to go out and run another marathon, or volunteer again. I know which is easier at the moment.

Totals for the day: 12mi run, paced ~15 people up the hill, and high fived at least 100 people. It was a good day.

Photo Gallery

Next Page ›

‹ Previous Page

Macias, Pirtea win half-marathon, Semisonic rocks Civic Center Park

DENVER, CO – October, 17, 2010 – With cool temperatures and sunny skies, the first Rock ‘n’ Roll Denver Marathon & 1/2 Marathon crowned two past Rock ‘n’ Roll champions in the men’s and women’s marathons. Mike Aish won the men’s marathon on Sunday morning, completing the 26.2-mile course in 2 hours, 30 minutes, 37 seconds.

2010 Start of the Inaugural Rock 'n' Roll Denver Marathon and Half Marathon

The 34-year-old Arvada, Colo. resident previously won the 2008 P.F. Chang’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Arizona Marathon. A New Zealand Olympian who recently gained U.S. citizenship, Aish separated from the field just after mile 11 and finished well ahead of runner-up Miguel Angel Cazares of Denver. Although his time was not exceptional, 17 minutes off his Arizona victory, Aish’s attitude was perfect for running the second half of the race all by himself.

Aish

Barlow

“I stopped at a few of the water stations and slapped fives with the cheerleaders, just was trying to have a good time and the fans really made it all worthwhile,” said Aish, a 12-time Division II champion over 5,000 and 10,000 meters and cross country at Western State in Colorado. “This has been a big transition year for me and I’ve only really been training hard for a few weeks. I want to have a good shot at the U.S. Olympic Marathon trials in 2012 and today was a good step in the right direction. Hopefully there is a lot more to come.”

Australian Karen Barlow won the women’s race in 2:54:56, beating out Heather Utrata of Englewood, Colo. by a little over a minute. Barlow, who has been training in Boulder for the last month, dropped out of the Chicago Marathon last weekend and overcame emotional adversity to arrive at the Denver start line.

“Chicago was my goal race for the year. Unfortunately it was hot and humid and I had been training in the dry and cold, so I pulled out after suffering through 14 miles,” said Barlow, who won February’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Mardi Gras Marathon. “On Wednesday I rang Matt Turnbull and said I’m just up the road and I want to end the year on a positive note after putting in all this training. Goal one was just to finish, goal two was to have fun and goal three was to win if I had a chance. This just feels phenomenal and I had so much fun today. I ‘chicked’ a helluva lot of guys out there on the course.”

First across the finish line outside Civic Center Park, was men’s half-marathon winner Mario Macias of Alamosa, Colo. The 29-year-old won the 13.1-mile race in 1, hour, 5 minutes and 22 seconds.

The pace of the half-marathon was set early by 29-year-old Macias, along with University of Oregon All-American Shadrack Biwott and Australia’s Andrew Letherby, who won the Rock ‘n’ Roll Seattle Half Marathon in June and won the Boulder Marathon 2 weeks ago in 02:33:07. Biwott and Macias jockeyed for position from miles five through nine, hitting the mile-10 split in 49 minutes. Biwott, who dropped out of the Chicago Marathon last weekend, couldn’t maintain the pace and Macias pushed ahead for the lead.

“The goal for me was to go after the State record, which is 64:52. The weather today was great just a bit cold at first,” said Macias. “With 9 miles to go I figured I could push it. I’ve been training at altitude and coming down from 7,500 feet was a big difference, I could feel it. I think going out with consecutive sub-5:00 miles cost me a little time at the end.” Macias also won the Boulder 1/2 Marathon 2 weeks ago where he ran a solo effort in 01:07:39.

Boulder resident Adriana Pirtea, of Romania, won the women’s half-marathon in 1:16:03.

The Bachelorette's Ryan Sutter

The Bachelorette’s Ryan Sutter joined 30 runners from Team First Descents, which included a Vail firefighter relay team, to complete the half-marathon in 1:33:14. Sutter is in the midst of a 10.10.10 challenge, to benefit First Descents, a non-profit organization that provides free outdoor adventure therapy for young adults with cancer.

“It really flew by, there is something around every corner. There are people the whole way cheering you on, it was a great race,” said Sutter, who will conclude his challenge at the ING New York City Marathon next month. “Being in Denver was pretty cool actually. It’s a great way to see the city; you are cruising through all the cool parts of downtown. The course is really great, a little something of everything with no major hills up or down. I just tried to get in a rhythm and enjoy the whole thing.”

The first ever Rock ‘n’ Roll Denver Marathon & 1/2 Marathon welcomed more than 15,000 entrants from all 50 states and 18 counties. The event featured a post race concert headlined by Semisonic, known for their 1995 hit ‘Closing Time’. The weekend’s schedule of events also included over 250 ING Rock ‘n’ Roll relay teams and more than 650 runners in the Kids Rock presented by McDonalds, a non-competitive, non-timed one-mile fun run for kids grades K-5. The second annual Rock ‘n’ Roll Denver Marathon is set for Sunday, October 16, 2011.

2010 Rock ‘n’ Roll Denver & ½ Results

Place, Name, Age, Country, Time, Money

Half-Marathon Men
1. Mario Macias, 29, Alamosa, CO, 1:05:23, $1,500
2. Shadrak Biwott, 25, Kenya, 1:06:27, $1,000
3. Andrew Letherby, 37, Australia, 1:07:48, $750

Half-Marathon Women
1. Adriana Pirtea, 30, Romania, 1:16:03, $1,500
2. Amanda Scott, 22, Boulder, CO, 1:23:58, $1,000
3. Nuta Olaru, 40, Romania, 1:24:45, $750

Marathon Men
1. Mike Aish, 34, Arvada, CO, 2:30:37, $1,500
2. Miguel Angel Cazares, 23, Denver, CO, 2:42:17, $1,000
3. Matthew Gallager, 31, Denver, CO, 2:42:25, $750

Marathon Women
1. Karen Barlow, 31, Australia, 2:54:56, $1,500
2. Heather Utrata, 28, Englewood, CO, 2:56:06, $1,000
3. Nicole Chyr, 32, Englewood, CO, 2:57:59, $750

For more information and complete results, please visit Competitor.com.

P.S. I plan on posting my day’s recap and photos shortly

The city’s ‘26.2 Mile Block Party’ Combines Entertainment with Revamped Race Route

Runners can expect a rockin’ tour to roll through Denver on October 17th as the inaugural Rock ‘n’ Roll Denver Marathon & ½ Marathon will feature redesigned race route.  The course will feature several newly inspired sections of the race route, including more scenic tours of the parks and a loop past the Denver Museum of Nature and Science.

“This new course should certainly result in faster times than the Denver marathon course of years past,” said Alan Culpepper, winner of 2004 U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon who recently joined the Competitor Group as an Operations Manager. “There are fewer turns and more straight paths. With the larger field we’ll also be implementing a wave start to alleviate bottlenecks and help runners hit their stride.”

Rookie runners and serious speedsters alike will appreciate the fine-tuned tweaks to the former Denver Marathon, with less turns, more straightaways and wider running lanes to allow for passing. The new course will still highlight many of the popular features of past years, including many of Denver’s major landmarks including the Denver Art Museum, the Pepsi Center, Union Station and Coors Field, Denver Zoo as well as City, Cheesman and Washington Parks.

The course has little to no elevation change and is certified by USA Track & Field as a Boston Marathon qualifier. Participants can expect more runner amenities that make for a better race experience, including additional port-o-potties, medical stations and water stations.

But the most noticeable difference in from years past will be the miles and miles of entertainment. Live local bands, decked out water stations and vivacious cheerleaders will provide quality entertainment along each mile of the course, motivating runners to the finish, where the real celebration begins at Civic Center Park.

The newly designed start and finish lines on Bannock Street allow for a spectacular culmination of festivities in Civic Center Park. Runners and spectators can partake in the community-wide celebration at the Finish Line Festival and enjoy a headliner act playing center stage at the amphitheater in the park.

“With more than 14,000 runners expected to participate this year, we wanted to invigorate the existing course with our signature Rock ‘n’ Roll sound and energy, while continuing to showcase Denver’s majestic Rocky Mountains and lush green parks,” said Shannon Davis, Event Manager. “We look forward to welcoming many of our loyal Denver runners and we encourage new runners to challenge themselves in this fantastic destination.”

Full course descriptions of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Denver Marathon & ½ Marathon, including turn-by-turn directions and course maps, are located at online at denver.competitor.com. Information regarding Kids Rock Denver presented by McDonald’s will be available soon. For more information, or to register please visit competitor.com or call 800-311-1255.

About Rock ‘n’ Roll Denver
A Competitor event, the inaugural Rock ‘n’ Roll Denver Marathon & 1/2 Marathon and ING Rock ‘n’ Roll Relay will welcome more than 14,000 participants to Colorado on Sunday, October 17, 2010. Live bands and cheerleaders will entertain participants along every mile of the scenic course, which starts near the State Capitol in downtown Denver and travels past many of city’s major landmarks and parks. The race concludes with a finish line festival and headliner concert at Civic Center Park.

A two-day Health & Fitness Expo kicks off race weekend at the Colorado Convention Center on Friday, October 15 and Saturday, October 16. The free expo is open to the public and will feature the latest in running apparel and nutrition products.  Online registration for the event is open at http://denver.competitor.com.

Justin Mock, 28, of Arvada was the first American finisher in April’s London Marathon, running a huge 14 minute PR to break the elusive 2:30 mark with a 2:29:29 finish. He placed 52nd overall in the deep international field at one of the world’s most well-known marathons. Justin is a member of the Fleet Feet Boulder racing team and also contributes twice-weekly commentary, surely the best coverage in the state, on the Colorado race scene to RunColo.com.

Justin Mock dominating Big Ben at the London Marathon

Justin, Congratulations on breaking 2:30 in London and finishing as the first American. Does that title come with any perks besides the obvious bragging rights?

Immediately after the race, I had the US flag tatted on my right shoulder and then when I went to Paris post-race, I heard nothing but “monsieur Top American, monsieur Top American…” while being chased by my fans.

No, other than getting ripped on LetsRun.com, it’s really just a fun novelty title. I’ll joke about wanting to be referred to as Top American, but that’s about it.

Just 2 years ago you first broke through the 17min mark for the 5k with a 16:40 and won the Colfax marathon in 2:43. What do you see as the biggest contributor to your recent gains?

It seems backwards, but I ran 2:43 at Colfax a few months before I broke 17 in the 5K. Similarly, I ran sub 2:30 for the marathon before I’ve broken 16 in the 5K. I don’t think it’s that I’m not capable of faster 5K times, I just haven’t worked much on that kind of speed. The marathon distance is my bread and butter.

I’ve been putting in big miles for a few years in a row, only the occasional 100+ mile week, but generally 80+ every week. Obviously the cumulative effect of that consistency is continuing to pay dividends. Really though, in the past two years, I’ve gotten way more dedicated to going to the track. This is an area of training that I’ve long neglected and only recently really started to embrace. That’s what will drive any future PRs for me too.

What were the key workouts and or races that built your confidence in going under 2:30?

I hadn’t run a road marathon since Colfax in 2008 and hadn’t run a marathon at sea level since I blew up at Columbus in 2007, so I expected a big PR at London. It was just a matter of how close to 2:30 I could get. Last year I ran 1:13:37 at the Platte River Half in Denver for a big PR and also ran a solo 1:57 for 20 miles, also in Denver. Those were good indicators of my progress, but I didn’t make it to the starting line at the Fort Collins Marathon to put it all together last spring.

This year the only real indicator was a 1:12:10 half at Virginia Beach in March. While that too was a PR, I was pretty disappointed with it. I knew that the 1:12 half time put me in range of 2:30 for the marathon, but more confidence came from all of the track workouts I put in. I’d done a lot of work at 5:30 pace, kept the mileage in the 90-100 range, and had some really solid long runs with marathon pace built in. I was as fit as I’d ever been and going in, just felt like I just needed to have a good race to make it happen.

You have had some setbacks during that time as well, what were those and what did you learn from them?

I always have some little injury, usually because I do something dumb like run a treadmill marathon. I’m really proactive with any injuries though and foam roll, get massages, pound the Motrin, Icy Hot, Arnica gel, ice, heating pad…you name it, I’m doing it if something hurts. I’m pretty obsessive about my training and taking care of myself. For more serious aches, Heather North at In Motion Rehab in Boulder usually fixes me up quickly.

With all that confidence going into the race, at what point did you know you really had it nailed?

Mile 14 was the big turning point. I got out a little quick for the first 5K, but was probably only 500th at this point. I kept it steady, consistently hitting my splits, and already starting to roll a lot of people up through the first half. I hit the half split in 1:14:14, and while this was right where I wanted to be, I felt far better than I expected to and dropped a 5:28 14th mile. When I was able to increase the pace at 14 without much additional effort, I grew really confident that I could get under 2:30. Mile 20 was the fastest of the race (5:24) and while my pace slowed the final 10K (5:50s), I was rolling people up the entire way and never had any significant issues. I don’t think I was passed by a single person after mile 4 and it was a pretty powerful feeling to be blowing by so many people the entire race. The race went as close to perfect as I could have expected. Sure some luck is needed in the marathon, but it’s also of course indicative of just how solid my training was.

Justin Mock finishes the London Marathon in 2:29:29

I remember seeing you training in Vibrams. Whats your take on the minimalist movement? Are you still using them in training?

I was an early adopter of the Five Fingers and got a pair before the “Born to Run” craze hit. I only ran in them maybe 5 times and then sold my pair on eBay. They just didn’t work for me. My little toes turn a little weird and those toenails were turning black after just a few miles in the FFs. That said, I run in lightweight trainers as much as possible, but also have a pair of orthotics that I wear for a good bit of my miles.

Whats next for you? Do you have a new goal?

I really felt like sub 2:30 was my Olympic gold medal. That said, I hope that I don’t get content and keep up the chase for faster times. A few people have asked if I’ll try to make up that last 10 minutes to get into the trials, but unless someone wants to pay my mortgage, there isn’t a ton more that I can do on the training front.

Immediately ahead, I’m pacing Nick Clark from Fort Collins in the Western States 100 in late June. It’s through the Sierras and Nick will be fit and looking for a great race, so I want to do a good job to help him as much as possible and ensure that he races well. That means a big shift to my training over the next several weeks. Going to the track won’t benefit me much for running 50 miles through the mountains, so I’ll be looking for some really long stuff at altitude in the next few weeks.

After that, I’ll run the Pikes Peak Marathon for the third year in a row in August and then take the rest of the year easy, running of course, but without as much intensity or focus – my down season if you will.

I’ve got a road marathon in mind for next spring, but it’s too far out to commit or divulge.

You might hold the fastest known time for a participant in a gorilla suit at the Bolder Boulder 10k which you decided to do after your Colfax Marathon win in 2008. Will you be running it again?

I think I ran 39:56 in the gorilla suit at the 2008 BolderBoulder 10K. Trying to stay on TV, I went through mile 1 in 5:43ish and my heart rate was probably as high as it’s ever been. I missed BB10K last year and likely will miss it again this year. It’s the most competitive race in the state, but I’ve got some really long stuff planned for that holiday weekend to prep for the summer.

Thanks for the interview Justin and we look forward to seeing your marked progress continue!

Photos provided by MarthonFoto and Justin Mock

2010 Event set for Sunday, October 17, Registration special for first 500 runners

Rock n Roll Denver Marathon and Half Marathon 2010

Denver, CO – January 12, 2010 – The Competitor Group (CGI) today announced that online registration has opened for the inaugural Rock ‘n’ Roll Denver Marathon and Half Marathon. The race, scheduled for Sunday, October 17, 2010, is expected to draw over 15,000 runners and will feature entertainment along every mile of the scenic course. The Mile High City will come alive with runners and spectators creating a community-wide celebration that culminates with a rockin’ post race celebration at the Finish Line Festival in Civic Center Park.
The 2010 event will utilize the existing Denver Marathon race course that begins in front of the State Capitol, and travels past many of Denver’s major landmarks including the Denver Public Library, Art Museum, Larimer Square, the Pepsi Center, Union Station and Coors Field, as well as City, Cheesman and Washington Parks. The course has little to no elevation change and is certified by USA Track & Field as a qualifier for the Boston Marathon.

Online registration for the event is open at www.runrocknroll.com. The first 500 runners to register for the inaugural Rock ‘n’ Roll Denver Marathon & ½ Marathon can take advantage of special entry fees, which will offer registration for the half and full marathon events at $55 and $70, respectively.

“The majestic Rocky Mountain backdrop coupled with the area’s lush green parks makes the Denver marathon course a runner’s delight,” said Kari Logan, Event Director. “We look forward to welcoming many of our loyal rock ‘n’ roll alumni and offering a host of new runners the opportunity to challenge themselves in this fantastic destination.”

Alan Culpepper with Race Directors Anton Villatoro and Dave McGilvary announce Rock n Roll Denver

Event weekend will begin on Friday, October 15 with a two-day Health & Fitness Expo at the Colorado Convention Center. The free Expo, where all participants pick up their race number, t-shirt and timing tag, will feature up to 100 exhibitors with samples, the latest in running gear and sports apparel, and a full schedule of interactive clinics.

Last October, the Denver Marathon announced becoming the Rock ‘n’ Roll Denver as part of a national series of fourteen musically themed marathons and half-marathons. Launched in 1998, the groundbreaking concept uniquely combines entertainment with a 26.2-mile road course. The series, which originated in San Diego, includes events in Phoenix, Nashville, Seattle, Chicago, Virginia Beach, San Jose and San Antonio.

For more information or to register for the Rock ‘n’ Roll Denver Marathon & ½ Marathon, please log onto www.runrocknroll.com or call 800-311-1255.

Chris Siemers winner of the 2009 Denver Marathon

About The Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series
Produced by The Competitor Group, the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon series is known for lining race routes with live bands, cheerleaders and themed water stations. The original Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon in San Diego is still recognized for its record setting inaugural event that brought 15,771 participants across the finish line. Today, the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series has spread to fourteen cities nationwide, creating the first national series of marathons and half-marathons, which annually attract more than 300,000 participants. For more information, please visit www.runrocknroll.com.

About The Competitor Group
Competitor Group, Inc., headquartered in San Diego, CA, is a leading endurance media and event entertainment company dedicated to promoting the sports of running, cycling and triathlon. CGI owns and operates 36 national events delivering more than 350,000 professional and amateur participants in 2010. CGI publishes four magazine titles with a combined monthly circulation of over 800,000 and has recently launched an online endurance community at competitor.com delivering over 1.5 million monthly unique visitors and over 25 million page views.  Further information about Competitor and its media properties can be found at www.cgimediakit.com .

Marathon morning is usually full of preparation, jitters, butterflies and nervousness for runners. All those months of training leading up to the big day. I was hoping to run in the Marathon today, but due to my recent injury, I instead committed to riding the lead bike for the Half Marathon Women’s race. Even though I wasn’t racing there were butterflies and jitters in regards to making sure everyone is safe, no bike issues, reporting back race splits, staying on course.

This perspective gave me a unique look into the pacing and strategies of the front runners and amazingly they are similar to our own at times.

We were all wired up with radios and we were reporting split times, leaders, pacing, etc back to the finish line where announcers including Frank Shorter and Alan Culpepper were commenting on the race as it unfolded so I got to hear updates throughout even though I didn’t know who the runner’s were. Just bib numbers.

Both women’s races were fairly uneventful for the most part. Each had a leader set from the beginning of the race. Peris Chumba who was making her US debut, had a fast strong pace through the first 4 miles of the race. Then we got into downtown and the course began with some “gentle” climbs. Between the hills and some blowing wind, the pace settled in. She was running solo really. No one was around. Then along 17th a long straight away, slightly uphill, a group of guys, packed in around here and the pace dropped slightly as she found a new stride.

I kept looking back for the 2nd place women but never saw her, even on the long straight aways.

After winding through City Park, she lost contact with a few of the men, and found her pace slipping again. But she ran tough all the way through those tough last 3 miles. Her final time was nothing close to her PR of 1:16:18, perhaps that was the day she was having.

The Men’s Half Marathon sounded like a great race. A pack of 3-4 runners stayed in contact most of the race. Not sure at what point, but Matt Levassiur surged out and was able grab the win with a time of 1:08:04 (unofficial)

Siemers with his work cut out for him

The Men’s Marathon seemed uneventful for the most part until the final miles of the race.

Chris Siemers was in contact with the lead from time to time through the first few miles of the race, but then was always about 1/4 to 1/2 mile back. I rode a replacement radio to the leaders as they approached mile 24 and this is where the race got interesting. I stayed with the leader for a half mile or so. He seemed to be tired but smooth and was commanding the lead. As we headed up Santa Fe Street, a long straight slightly uphill. with no one in sight. I turned and did see the 2nd place guy back there, so I hung back a bit to get a picture. There was Chris. His vantage point was much different. He could see the leader along with the press truck just before the crest of the hill and knew what he had to do to catch him. Teammate Michael Aish was yelling encouragement from the road side “Cummon, he’s only got 19 seconds on you and he is dying!”

Chris through his glasses to the side, and focused on his new goal: Win this race.

Chris had a distinct advantage at this point, he knew how far out the leader was, and that he was closing.

Chris Siemers winner of the Denver Marathon

Just after the turn down 13th with a mile to go, Chris was in reach and passed with a surge. At first it didn’t shake the current leader, but eventually was too much for him and within 100 meters Chris had gained a sizeable lead now turning the corner onto Lincoln to the cheer of the crowds, he knew no matter how much he was hurting, the win was now his.

More photos to come soon

Denver Marathon Weekend 2009

Colorado’s Premier Marathon, the Denver Marathon, Half Marathon and ING Relay just took it up a notch. Today it announced the re-branding of this event to align with the Competitor Group’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series for 2010. But that doesn’t mean this year won’t be the biggest to date. There will be live race coverage from the Start/Finish line with updates from media spotters on course.

You can follow mile splits for the Men’s and Women’s Half-Marathon race on twitter.com/@mapmyrun.

Opie Gone Bad will be performing at the finish line of the Denver Marathon and Half Marathon

Olympian Alan Culpepper will be doing color commentary and there will be 3 bands on course, 1 at each of the city’s parks aligned with the ING Relay transition stations. At the finish line, a giant Jumbo-Tron has been brought in to feature a live finish line feed. After the race, finishers will be able to relax to the sounds of Opie Gone Bad.

“Denver is an outstanding destination to run a marathon and we are excited to offer runners a flat, scenic course set against the backdrop of the breathtaking Rocky Mountains that give Colorado its gorgeous panoramas,”

Official Release:
Denver, CO – October 16, 2009 –The Competitor Group (CGI) today announced that the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series will officially add the Denver Marathon to its schedule of races for next year. The event, which will celebrate its fourth running this Sunday, October 18, 2009, will host the Rock ‘n’ Roll Denver Marathon, ½ Marathon and the ING Marathon Relay in the fall of 2010.

“Denver is an outstanding destination to run a marathon and we are excited to offer runners a flat, scenic course set against the backdrop of the breathtaking Rocky Mountains that give Colorado its gorgeous panoramas,” said Peter Englehart, President and CEO of CGI. “The Rock ‘n’ Roll format will help this event increase its visibility on a national scale and attract participants from across the U.S. and abroad.”

Race Director Villatoro is excited to be bringing Denver into the fold of the Rock n' Roll Series

The largest marathon in the state of Colorado, the race is known as the premier distance running event in the Rocky Mountain Region. The marathon was founded four years ago by several people including CGI’s Anton Villatoro, who saw an opportunity based on the fact that Denver has one of the largest numbers of runners per capita of any city in the U.S. The event provides participants with a unique running tour of the city and last year was named one of 10 “Marathons You Should Do in 2008” by Runner’s World magazine.

“We are very excited that the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon is coming to Denver,” said Richard Scharf, President of VISIT DENVER, The Convention & Visitors Bureau. “Denver is the perfect city to be hosting the Marathon, with 300 days of sunshine, a great love of sports and outdoor activities, world-class cultural offerings, and natural beauty from the Rocky Mountains backdrop. We look forward to welcoming thousands of runners from around the world next fall.”

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series, which began in San Diego in 1998, is organized by CGI and held in markets across the nation including Phoenix, Seattle, Chicago, Philadelphia and San Antonio. The series of marathons and half-marathons will attract over 300,000 participants nationwide, and by incorporating the Denver event in 2010, more participants will travel from outside of the Rocky Mountain Region for the race, increasing the event’s annual economic impact for the City of Denver.

“Denver has always been a great city for sporting events and our community consistently shows its support to professional and amateur athletes alike,” said KieAnn Brownell, President of Denver Sports. “We are very pleased to bring this premier event to Denver and we consider this another example of the positive economic impact world class sports events can create for a city and its surrounding communities.”

With the addition of the Denver event, there will now be 13 Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathons and Half Marathons in 2010. Each event creates a running block party with live bands performing at every mile, cheerleaders encouraging runners throughout the race, themed water stations, and a post-event concert featuring a headlining act. The events’ festive atmospheres, which combine entertainment and running, all maintain the unique aspects of the regions in which they are held.

The 2010 event will utilize the existing race course that begins in front of the State Capitol, and travels past many of Denver’s major landmarks including the Denver Public Library, Art Museum, Larimer Square, the Pepsi Center, Union Station and Coors Field, as well as City, Cheesman and Washington Parks. The course has little to no elevation change and is certified by USA Track & Field as a qualifier for the Boston Marathon.

“This is wonderful news for Downtown Denver,” said Tami Door, President & CEO of the Downtown Denver Partnership. “As one of the healthiest cities in the nation, we are proud to support this kind of activity and a population of people who value wellness. Downtown Denver will make a beautiful landscape for the event and is positioned well to accompany this influx of people.”

The 2009 Denver Marathon event weekend kicks off with a free two-day Target Health & Fitness Expo at the Colorado Convention Center on Friday, October 16 and Saturday, October 17. The Expo, where all participants pick up their race number, t-shirt and goodie bag, will feature up to 100 exhibitors with samples, the latest in running gear and sports apparel, as well as a full schedule of interactive clinics. Race registration for both Sunday’s marathon and half-marathon races is available at the Expo.

For more information about the Rock ‘n’ Roll Denver Marathon, please visit www.runrocknroll.com .

About The Competitor Group
Competitor Group, Inc., headquartered in San Diego, CA, is a leading endurance media and event entertainment company dedicated to promoting the sports of running, cycling and triathlons. CGI owns and operates 32 national events delivering more than 300,000 professional and amateur participants in 2010. CGI publishes four magazine titles with a combined monthly circulation of over 800,000 and has recently launched an online endurance community at www.competitor.com. Further information about Competitor and its media properties can be found at www.cgimediakit.com .