Nancy Rollins Wins National Title

I guess we shouldn't expect anything less from Nancy Rollins of Evanston. She won the women's 60-64 age group on Sunday at the USA Track and Field Half Marathon Masters National Championships in Melbourne Florida. Rollins, 63, won in 1:36:37, easily beating runner-up Catherine Wides, 60, of Durham, NC, who ran 1:38:13. Susie Simms, 60,of Boca Raton, FL, was third in 1:47:29.

Frank Lloyd Wright 10K Added to CARA Circuit

If you read your CARA Newsletter, you already know this. Sadly, as we hinted here earlier, the Westchester Veterun will not be staged this year. It is being replaced on the CARA Runner's Choice Circuit by the Frank Lloyd Wright Run in Oak Park on Oct. 24. That's two weeks after the Bank of America Chicago Marathon, which also is on the Circuit. I personally will miss the Veterun. It was a great event with a great purpose, to honor veterans. Veterun: R.I.P.

Chicago Winner Marathoner of the Year

All-Athletics.com, one heck of a Web site for running and track that is based in Europe, has announced its Marathon Runners of the Year for 2009, among other honors it bestows. They are (male) Samuel Kamau Wanjiru of Kenya and (female) Irina Mikitenko of Germany. Wanjiru won the Bank of America Chicago Marathon last year in 2:05:41. Mikitenko was second woman here with a 2:26:31. And who beat her, you ask? Do you remember Liliya Shobukhova of Russia? I confess I couldn't remember without looking it up. She won in 2:25:56.

Verzbicas Gatorade XC Runner of the Year!

We all know Carl Sandburg sophomore Lukas Verzbicas has what it takes to be one of the nation's best distance runners ever. On Thursday, he received a special honor as Gatorade's National Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year.
Here is a full story from ESPN Rise. Way to go, Lukas!
http://sports.espn.go.com/highschool/rise/crosscountry/news/story?id=4864834

CARA Awards Luncheon a Big Plus

I've got to give CARA, its new executive director, Valerie Bushey, and her entire staff some well-deserved credit for an excellent 2009 awards luncheon on Saturday (Jan. 23) in Oak Brook. The fast-moving program was just right and kept everyone interested, attentive and motivated. There were strong speeches by many people, including CARA board president-elect Chris Wehrman, who never is afraid to tell it like it is, and runners of the year Christina Overbeck and Dave Wilson. CARA is moving forward and freshening up its approach. That is good for all concerned as we look ahead to the 2010 running season (already under way for a lot of you!). I saw a lot of people I knew and realized the room was full of some of the fittest people, not just in the Chicago area, but in the country. They also get to run in some of the best and safest races in the country, due in large part to CARA.

Marathoner to Watch: Kate DeProsperis

Kate DeProsperis, 30, of Downers Grove, put herself in the limelight with a 2:50:37 at December's California International Marathon. The strong run (1:25:00 first half) put her second in the women's 30-34 age group. It's not often we have someone locally who is close to Olympic Team Trials standards, but Kate's in the ballpark after that time. The U.S. women's standards for the 2012 Games in London are 2:39:00 for the "A" Standard and 2:46:00 for the "B" Standard. You can also run a 1:15 half-marathon or a 33:00 in the 10,000-meters. The qualifying window officially opened on Jan. 1. The men's standard for 2012 is 2:19:00, 1:05 for a half-marathon or 28:30 in the 10,000. Men have no "B" standard. Also at California, Kurt Fiene, 48, of Elmhurst ran a 2:58:33 to win the Vision Impaired Division. He paced fellow Elmhurst Running Club member Tammy Lifka, 39, of Glen Ellyn, who finished fifth in F35-39 with a 2:58:37.

Off With a Bang

A feisty field of 469 finishers got 2010 off to a fast start at the New Year's Day 5K in Chicago. Seemingly picking up where he left off after an outstanding 2009 season, Emisael Favela, 32, of Cicero, ruled the race, winning in 16:34. Alyssa Hunt, 26, of Chicago, was first woman across the finish line in 20:28. Nos. 2 and 3 in the male ranks in this New Year's Day parade were Karsen Green, 19, of Gurnee, in 17:44, and Caleb Chatfield, 30, of Chicago, in 17:49. Second and third women were Erika Vasquez, 30, of Chicago, in 21:06, and Holly Porter, 33, of Chicago, in 21:13. That's moving for a run the day after New Year's Eve!