Colorado Runner

The day J. Marshall Thomson should have died, he was on a nice bike ride on a trail near Gunnison when a sudden storm turned into an aerial assault, lighting bolts stabbing the ground to his left, to his right, his fate inescapable no matter how fur…

Lying under Steve Parker’s calm and collected nature is a relentless competitive spirit.  No matter the playing field – race, training run or golf game – Parker’s drive to hunt down his competitors is what has made him a top runner and athlete. Steve’s love affair with running began over thirty years ago when he traded in his tennis shoes for Nike Waffle Trainers.  Ever since, he’s been making his way up the leaderboards to become one of the top runners in his age group. As a 60-year old speedster ruling the roads and the trails, Steve has made quite [...]

While Charles Hillig, Jr. doesn’t run with an affiliation on his shirt, his lack of sponsorship doesn’t stop him from competing, and winning against the top sponsored athletes in Colorado and around the country. Hillig’s hard work, determination and positive spirit have allowed him to not only chase his dreams, and win, but also do so in conjuncture with obtaining a B.S. in Sports and Exercise Science, as well as pursuing a career in orthopedic manual physical therapy. This articulate Colorado native clearly has the knowledge and tools necessary to continue to be one of Colorado’s elite runners.  Read on [...]

Two Time Olympian Mike Aish has a goal in the summer of 2012: to compete in the Leadville 100, a one hundred Mile foot race in the mountains of Colorado. This is Mike’s first Ultra 100 Mile. Follow him as he seeks advice from experienced mentors and Hometown Sole Inc and GoDu Productions create an eight commercial half hour episode series for broadcast television.

True Colorado native Jeremy Freed has had a love for running since he watched his Dad running out the front door as a young child.  Growing up in the beautiful city of Evergreen, CO, Jeremy was deeply rooted in the running community at a young age. From setting his elementary school mile record to winning a state title in high school in the 1600m to winning the uber-popular BolderBoulder 10K in 2011, Jeremy has worked long and hard to reach his goals. Not only does Jeremy work full time for the Newton Running Lab, but he also dedicates much of [...]

Distance runners have a better viewpoint about the effects of altitude on their sport than baseball players, but Frank Mencin had a unusual problem when he was coaching the cross country teams at Lake County High School in Leadville.

Kim Dobson is hands-down one of the top mountain runners in Colorado.  She recently ran the second fastest time in race history at both the Mount Washington Road Race in 2012, and the Pikes Peak Ascent in 2011.  Both wins are simply additional notches in this Colorado native’s belt of top race finishes. Kim and her main support system, her husband Corey, recently moved to Grand Junction where Kim trains intensely and with purpose to reach her goals.  It’s clear that she understands the importance of hard work and dedication to achieve personal goals and dreams. Read on to find [...]

A month ago, Emma Coburn told me if I couldn’t be at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials to watch the finals of the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase, then the next best vantage point would be here at the Brick Oven Pizzeria. But there was a stipulation: Coburn would have to be competing in the steeple finals, having advanced through the prelims earlier in the week in Eugene, Ore. She did her part, qualifying for Friday’s finals with Monday’s fastest time, and since a Thursday-Saturday trip to Crested Butte had been planned for over a month, I would do mine. The Brick [...]

EUGENE, Ore—With nearly every throw Colorado’s Casey Malone improved upon his previous mark, but not enough to hit the A standard and break into the top three of the men’s discus in the finals of the U.S. Olympic Team Trials. In the first set of three throws, where the field of 12 is reduced to eight, Malone finished fourth; however, after the next three throws he moved down to sixth. In the competition, Malone steadily progressed from 196 feet 4 inches to 200 feet 6 inches; his furthest throw was his sixth and final throw, which was 13 feet away [...]

NOTE: After finishing second at the Prefontaine Classic 1500m on June 1, world 1500m champion Jenny Simpson and her husband Jason sat down for an exclusive interview with Race Results Weekly at a Starbucks in Eugene.  Over a bowl of oatmeal, Simpson talked about her successes from last season, how much she loves training in Colorado, how she plans to get ready for the Olympic Trials, and who might win a head to head race between Jenny and Jason.  This interview was edited for clarity and slightly condensed –Ed. Race Results Weekly: Give us an assessment of your race from [...]

Runners Roost Mountain/Ultra Elite Race Team Athlete Amy Schneider is a two-trick pony.  Since entering the competitive running field in 2008, Amy has accrued an impressive list of top race finishes, including wins at the Steamboat Half Marathon in 2008 and the Steamboat Marathon in 2010 and 2011. After finishing the Leadville 100 and winning the Bear Chase 50K in 2011, Amy has decided to set her sights on the trails.  Her focus this year is to tackle more mountain and ultra races, including another go at the Leadville 100 in August. Maybe one of the most respectable values about [...]

In the first six days, Diane Van Deren’s teammates were lancing her blisters and taping her sodden feet several times a day. The endurance runner from Sedalia motored through 10 pairs of shoes as she ran 20-plus hours a day through a tropical storm.

First-year elite Lukas Verzbicas, the reigning ITU Junior World Champion, used his well-known prowess on the run to pull away from the field and earn his first career professional victory at last weekend’s Dallas ITU Pan American Cup. USA Triathlon recently caught up with the 19-year-old to get an update on his rookie campaign. USA Triathlon: Can you walk us through your race in Dallas? Did it play out as you expected? Lukas Verzbicas: Going into the race I was confident that I could win based on how in shape I was from my training. I was very excited to face 2012 [...]

With her 9:25.28 personal best performance at last Saturday’s Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Ore., University of Colorado redshirt senior Emma Coburn joined an elite club. Her mark made her America’s fourth-fastest steeplechaser ever –just the fifth to break 9:30– and cemented her status as the favorite to win the USA Olympic Trials on the same Hayward Field track later this month. “My PR prior to this was only 9:37,” a delighted Coburn told reporters after her race. She continued: “To run 9:25, I was really pleased with that. I felt really relaxed the whole time, too, so I’m confident that [...]

For Brooks Beast 1500 meter runner Katie Mackey (formerly Katie Follett, a native of Fort Collins), 2012 is not what she had originally planned. Katie moved from Seattle to Portland then Portland to Boston along with making three coaching changes along with way. Katie’s life has been whirl wind of change in 2012, but she’ll have to overcome the distractions in order to make the US Olympic team in at the end of the month if she wants to punch her ticket to London. Courtesy of FloTrack.org. Watch more video of 2012 Brooks Beasts: Road to London on flotrack.org

Besides Jay Survil’s infectious personality and love for running, he’s one of the fastest Grand Masters in Colorado. As a Runners Roost Elite Athlete for the past three years, Jay has been dominating his age group and overall competition in general.  Possibly the most noteworthy is the emphasis he puts in his PR’s – exemplifying the fact that while he’s still standing on roughly 25 age group podiums a year, Jay’s goal is to personally improve as a runner and achieve his goals. Read on to find out more about this Colorado native and true running addict that lets you [...]

Meb Keflezighi is a three time Olympian, twice in the marathon and once at 10,000 meters. After the 2008 Olympic Trials, Meb was in such bad shape, that he was concerned about his ability to walk without a limp, much less run. Meb is the American dream. One of ten brothers and sisters, Meb moved to the US at the tender age of 12, and started running in junior high. After high school, where he showed his promise, Meb went to UCLA. Under the watchful eye of Coach Bob Larson, Meb and Coach Bob have worked together for nineteen years. [...]