Running

The Sustainable Runner

Anonymous — Fri, 01 Sep 2023 15:38:52 +0000

The Sustainable Runner Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 09/01/2023 - 09:38

Christie Sounart

As a writer living in Arkansas nearly a decade ago, Zoё Rom (MJour’18) was frustrated with the lack of variety in climate-related stories in the news.

“Climate change stories were just preaching to the choir,” she said. “I wanted to bring environmental writing to new people. I wanted to take seriously their concerns and their desires and their passions.”

She decided to hone her skills and jump into environmental writing full time, which brought her to ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Boulder’s environmental journalism graduate program within the College of Media, Communication and Information.

At ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ, she was exposed to an intellectual community who brought knowledge in areas ranging from snow leopards to fire ecology, she said, but also pushed her to challenge her perspectives on things like environmental ethics, justice and racism.

“They’ve all become such a part of my DNA of how I approach things,” said Rom, who moved to Aspen after she graduated from ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Boulder to cover the environment and ski industry for NPR.

After leaving NPR, Rom moved to Carbondale, ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ, and decided to continue telling stories in the endurance sports industry as she could weave in environmental angles while writing about athletes in areas like running, climbing or skiing.

Today Rom is the editor-in-chief of Trail Runner magazine, managing editor for Women’s Running magazine and a contributing editor and writer for Outside Run magazine. She’s written about how hotter temperatures affect the Olympic marathon; how climate change has forced new climbing routes in mountaineering; or how gear companies are turning to bizarre technology to adjust to changing weather (a cooling race vest from Nike, for instance).

During the pandemic, Rom — who is a trail runner — drew the attention of Tina Muir, CEO of Running for Real, which uses the stories of top runners to spur social and environmental change. The two originally connected over a tweet about composting, but then forged a friendship centered on environmental activism.

“Zoë puts in the time and diligence to make sure she has considered all variables, all perspectives in a situation,” said Muir, who lives in St. Louis, Missouri. “She knows that words matter, and she puts forward a lot of energy to make sure what she is sharing is impactful and accurate.”

Muir suggested the duo write a book. They spent the next two years conducting interviews and research to craft Becoming a Sustainable Runner, which caters to runners of all levels and is a solutions-focused guide to climate advocacy. The book was released in August.

“A primary challenge I found in interviews was that many people didn’t see themselves as ‘activists’: They didn’t want to go vegan, they didn’t really want to stop flying,” said Rom. “So we just wanted to head-on address those concerns in a compassionate and evidence-based way.”

The book garnered the attention of runner and best-selling author of The Tipping Point, Malcom Gladwell.

“I’ve been waiting a long time for a book that puts running in the broader context of our bodies, our minds and the world around us,” he said. “Becoming a Sustainable Runner is that book.”

Rom hopes the book inspires people to become politically active in their local communities and generate curiosity about where they can make the most impact. And while the book aims to draw attention to larger climate issues, it focuses on the importance of self care, too, Rom said, who finds solace in her own mountain runs and quiet connections with nature.

“It’s necessary to care for your community and planet in the same way it’s essential to care for yourself,” she said. “And on the flip side, I wanted to demonstrate for folks who already are doing a lot of climate or community work that it’s important to take that time to take care of themselves and sustain themselves as well.”

Photos courtesy Zoё Rom

Journalist Zoё Rom leverages stories from running and other endurance sports to start climate discussions.

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Top 10 Running Trails in Boulder

Anonymous — Wed, 20 Jul 2022 22:57:19 +0000

Top 10 Running Trails in Boulder Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 07/20/2022 - 16:57

Alexx McMillan

Want to run like the Buffaloes? I interviewed my fellow ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Boulder Running Club members to find out about their favorite Boulder trails.

Betasso Preserve

Betasso Preserve

Starting with my personal favorite, Betasso Preserve has two loops that can be combined into a perfect eight-mile run. A serene winding trail through shaded woods, interspaced with steeper sections ascending to stunning foothill views, the Canyon Loop and Benjamin Trail Loop will satisfy any trail runner's heart. Consider visiting on a Wednesday or Saturday when mountain bikers are not permitted.

Mesa Trail

“I like the Mesa Trail because you can hop on at many points in town as it runs seven miles east-west along the base of the Flatirons and Bear Peak. It’s also less steep than many of the other trail runs in Boulder which makes it more approachable.” — Katelyn Singh (CompSci’22)

Doudy Draw

“Nice and fairly wide trails in South Boulder that give runners a steady climb toward Eldorado Canyon State Park. There are plenty of different routes to take so the distance is up to each runner. Very good views while in the canyon — bonus if going at sunset to see the canyon lit up in golden light.” — Michael Miller (AeroEngr’23)

Shanahan Ridge Trail

“My favorite thing to do is connecting the Shanahan Ridge Trail with the Mesa Trail and Lower Big Bluestem Trail to make a big loop. You’ll run through open forest, over twisting streams and down a beautiful meadow teeming with wildflowers!” — Theodore Johnson Mencimer (EnvDes’23)

Tenderfoot Trail

"Tenderfoot is a newly reconstructed trail that is connected to Flagstaff Road, the Ute Trail and Chapman Drive. It has very healthy Douglas fir trees and views of Arapahoe National Forest and Indian Peaks." — Natalie Hyde (Bio’23)

Bobolink Trail

“Since I run mostly before classes in the morning, I have to run on trails easily accessible from right within the city. I like Bobolink for long runs because of its flat dirt trails, Flatiron views and — my favorite — frequent cow sightings.” — Mary Miller (EnvDes’25)

Teller Farms

“It’s a nice dirt and gravel trail with great views of the mountains. Frequent dog sightings combined with minimal altitude gain make it a perfect trail for recovery days.” — Hannah Teed (EnvEngr’22)

Lion’s Lair Spur Trail

“It’s a gradual incline and the trail is very easy to run making it the perfect workout. Getting to the summit is so satisfying and you are rewarded with a great view of Boulder from the top of Mount Sanitas” — Abigail White (Mktg’22)

Skunk Canyon

“A cool route behind Chautauqua that has some fun inclines and plenty of branching paths to explore. It also connects to the Woods Quarry Loop Trail that has some couches made of rock placed to overlook a really nice view.” — Jacob Lawrence (MechEngr’22)

Long Canyon: “The Secret Way Up Green Mountain”

“Connecting Realization Point with Green Mountain West Ridge, this quiet narrow trail has shallow grades for a peaceful run beneath the thick tree canopy. And keep a look out for the wild turkey which can often be seen from the trail!” — Chris Wyburn-Powell (MAtmos’22)

Photo by Chris Wyburn-Powell

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Run for Ruth

Anonymous — Tue, 10 Nov 2020 15:00:00 +0000

Run for Ruth Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 11/10/2020 - 08:00

Joshua Nelson

After COVID-19 hit, it didn’t take long for Corey Cappelloni (Law’04) to tire of video chat. He wanted to see his Nana — Ruth Andres, 98 — face-to-face. In June, Corey ran 220 miles from Washington, D.C., to Scranton, Pennsylvania, in seven days to see her. He also raised over $25,000 in his Run for Ruth campaign for the Allied Services Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, where his Nana lives.

What's your normal running routine?

When I am not training for an ultra-marathon, I typically only run about 35 to 50 miles per week, sometimes less.

What's the biggest challenge in a multi-day run like this?

The lack of mental and physical recovery time, and the need to wake up early the next morning while finding the strength to push through another ultra on tired legs.

How’s your Nana since the run?

We made a picture book for her documenting Run for Ruth, and she still talks about how much she appreciated the run when we talk multiple times per week. On Aug. 25, I gave her another surprise. I appeared on the “Kelly Clarkson Show,” and I coordinated with her facility Allied Services to surprise her with my appearance on the show. The residents on her floor enjoyed watching the show while eating a Run for Ruth cake.

How did it feel raising over $25,000?

The community support for my grandmother, other Allied residents and the heroic staff was so uplifting during a time of madness and hardship. Donations came in from family, colleagues, friends and complete strangers, and are still coming in at runforruth.com. The words of encouragement connected to the donations helped me stay motivated as I pushed through the miles.

What's next for you?

After the pandemic subsides, I would love to go on a multi-day trek in Patagonia or a gorilla trek in Rwanda or Uganda.

Condensed and edited.

Photo courtesy Corey Cappelloni

After COVID-19 hit, it didn’t take long for Corey Cappelloni to tire of video chat. He wanted to see his Nana — Ruth Andres, 98 — face-to-face.

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Breaking the Two-Hour Marathon

Anonymous — Sat, 01 Feb 2020 19:08:00 +0000

Breaking the Two-Hour Marathon Anonymous (not verified) Sat, 02/01/2020 - 12:08

Now: Oct. 12, 2019

On Oct. 12, 2019, with a time of 1:59:40, Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya became the first person to complete a marathon in under two hours. He wore a custom, upgraded pair of Nike Vaporfly 4% shoes, proven by ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Boulder research to reduce the metabolic cost of running by 4 percent.

Prior to his historic race in Vienna, a mathematical ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ study led by integrative physiology professor Rodger Kram determined the course exhibited near perfect conditions for Kipchoge to succeed.

“I love math with a purpose,” study co-author and former ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ fellow Kristine Snyder told ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Boulder Today.

Photo by REUTERS/Lisi Niesner

On Oct. 12, 2019, with a time of 1:59:40, Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya became the first person to complete a marathon in under two hours.

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Running Across America

Anonymous — Fri, 18 Oct 2019 16:43:55 +0000

Running Across America Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 10/18/2019 - 10:43

by Dave Whatever and Nancy Feehrer (MEdu'92)
(Nomad Press, 32 pages; 2019)

Buy the Book

As a teenager, Boston Marathon Race Director Dave McGillivray heard a news story about a person biking across the United States. “What a great idea!” he thought. “But instead of a bike, I’ll use my sneakers!”

Thus begins the funny, touching, true story of McGillivray’s 80-day, 3452-mile run from Medford, Oregon, to his hometown of Medford, Massachusetts, in 1978. In Running Across America: A True Story of Dreams, Determination, and Heading for Home, McGillivray tells the tale of how he braved the Sierra and Rocky Mountains, millions of grasshoppers in Nebraska, days of pouring rain in Ohio, the occasional rattlesnake, and persistent sore knees.

And McGillivray isn’t running just to chase his own dream. By making the run a fundraiser for the Jimmy Fund, McGillivray joins his favorite baseball team, the Red Sox, in making lives better for kids battling cancer.

Through 13 states, blistering heat, and being “pulled over” by a State Trooper, McGillivray relies on good friends, family, a sense of humor, and sheer determination to fulfill a dream—and to help kids who can’t run.

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Toughest Footrace on Earth

Anonymous — Sat, 01 Dec 2018 22:38:00 +0000

Toughest Footrace on Earth Anonymous (not verified) Sat, 12/01/2018 - 15:38

Amanda Clark

Last April, when Corey Cappelloni (Law’04) stepped up to the starting line of the Marathon des Sables — a six-day, 156-mile ultra marathon through the heart of the Sahara Desert — his mind was calm.

“Life became very simple at that point. No email, no texting, no deadlines... All I had to do was put one foot in front of the other,” said the asylum officer with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

He’d run ultra marathons before — but never in the world’s largest hot desert, a race the Discovery Channel has dubbed “the toughest footrace on Earth.”

Since 1986, three people have died trying to complete the race in southern Morocco. Routinely, hundreds fail to finish.

Organizers provide water refills every 10 miles and open tents to sleep in, but little else. Runners carry all their own survival supplies, including anti-venom kits.

“Initially, I was totally intimidated by the idea of the race,” said Cappelloni, one of nearly 1,000 participants from 60 countries in the latest event.

He’d signed up in 2015, then dropped out after contracting typhoid fever and a stomach parasite during a work trip in Tanzania. In 2016, he still didn’t feel ready.

Finishing the 2017 Half Marathon des Sables, a 70-mile race on an island off the Moroccan coast, gave him confidence. The first American to finish, he placed 31st overall.

“Then I was kinda like, ‘I can do this,’ said Cappelloni, who trained in winter garb with a backpack full of ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Law books.

But four months before the Sahara race, Cappelloni hurt his hip, losing six weeks of training time.

“I went from running nearly 90 miles a week to not being able to walk the four blocks to the metro,” he said.

Cappelloni considered dropping out again, but Jay Batchen, the race’s North American representative, convinced him not to.

“It was too late to get a refund, so I just told him to go for it,” said Batchen, who has finished the race 13 times.

“It’s a life changing experience...you really can’t explain it, you just have to experience it. People do the race because it’s very different than everyday life. It takes you out of your comfort zone. Of course, you have to be a little crazy, too,” he said.

Turns out, Cappelloni’s hip injury wasn’t the thing to worry about.

Thirty-five miles into the race’s fourth day, his right leg began to hurt. When he arrived at camp, quarter-sized blisters engulfed his feet.

He was in agony and too tired to open his backpack for food.

Then a race organizer handed him a letter.

The fine white paper seemed strange in his hands, a foreign object in the middle of one of the world’s largest deserts. It was from his 9-year-old daughter, Emma. “Happy Birthday, Papa!” it read.

The next day, Cappelloni could barely walk. The medics said it was most likely a stress fracture.

For 26 grueling miles, he limped through the sprawling desert, pain pulsing with every step.

He thought about the unthinkable distances refugees travel when forced to flee their homes, often over inhospitable terrain with all they can carry on their backs.

“I knew I could keep going,” he said.

When he crossed the finish line, he called Emma and thanked her for believing in him.

“You forget the pain and the sweat and the blood and everything, and you just remember the life-changing experience,” said Cappelloni. "We’ll see what I do next. I’m just enjoying my daily jogs and spending time with my daughter.”

Photo courtesy Corey Cappelloni

When Corey Cappelloni stepped up to the starting line of the Marathon des Sables — a156-mile ultra marathon through the Sahara Desert — his mind was calm.

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Blade Runners

Anonymous — Fri, 01 Jun 2018 15:00:00 +0000

Blade Runners Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 06/01/2018 - 09:00

Lisa Marshall

ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ’s Alena Grabowski is helping a new generation of amputee athletes reimagine what’s possible.

Hours before student alarm clocks go off, Alena Grabowski (Kines’98; PhD’07) slips on a head lamp and trail shoes and heads for the hills.

When she’s in motion, the 60-mile-a-week trail runner doesn’t think much about how her foot hits the ground with each step, how she slightly adjusts her balance as she rounds each switchback or how her stride might be different if her calves were made of carbon fiber instead of flesh and bone.

But when she gets to work at ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Boulder, that’s all she thinks about.

One of a half-dozen researchers on the planet who specializes in studying lower-limb prostheses for runners, Grabowski, director of ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ’s Applied Biomechanics Laboratory, has dedicated her career to helping elite amputee athletes like former South African sprinter Oscar Pistorius, aka the “Blade Runner,” and German long-jumper Marcus Rehm, aka the “Blade Jumper,” address a controversial question that could make or break athletic dreams: Should runners with prosthetic legs be able to compete alongside non-amputees?

Meanwhile, Grabowski is also developing a new generation of prostheses — blades — that could enable everyday athletes to do things that are difficult, if not impossible, to do today. Among them: Trail running.

“I never take for granted the fact that I can get up in the morning and go for a run without even thinking about it,” said Grabowski, 45, who has run 50-mile events in ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ’s San Juan mountains and multi-day races through the Italian Dolomites. “I just want everyone to be able to move like I can.”

Unfair Advantage?

Grabowski won’t forget the moment in August 2012 when Pistorius burst out of the blocks in London Stadium, becoming the first runner without biological legs to compete in the Olympics. As she watched on TV, the humble scientist couldn’t help but feel pride knowing she helped get him there.

I just want everyone to be able to move like I can.”

“It was a huge deal for the Paralympic community,” she said. “And for me, career wise, it was a turning point.”

The daughter of a track coach in Minnesota, Grabowski started running not long after she could walk. When she arrived at ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Boulder as a student in the mid-1990s, she began translating that passion into a unique career. She earned a bachelor’s degree and a doctorate in ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ’s integrative physiology department, studying under sports biomechanics researcher Rodger Kram. During post-graduate work at MIT, she worked with Hugh Herr, a famed mountaineer who lost both his legs after a climbing accident and now develops bionic prosthetics.

All along, she kept hearing about Pistorius, who was making headlines for his impressive times in the 400-meter, and for rumors that his J-Shaped Össur Cheetah blades gave him an unfair advantage.

In 2008, just as Grabowski was wrapping up her post-doctoral work, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) banned Pistorius from competing against able-bodied runners, citing a German study that concluded his blades allowed him to expend 25 percent less energy.

When his lawyers scoured the globe for a scientific team that could provide a second opinion, they found Herr, Kram and their junior colleague — Grabowski.

“It was exciting just to be a part of it,” she said.

The team gathered at Rice University in Texas, then among the only labs with a treadmill fast enough to measure Pistorius at full throttle. Over three whirlwind days, they and four researchers from other universities assessed his biomechanics, energy expenditure and endurance at a lightning 24 mph pace.

In the end, the researchers struggled to agree how to interpret the data they’d collected. But five of seven — including Herr, Kram and Grabowski — concluded that Pistorius’s blades put him at a disadvantage because they pushed off with less force than a biological limb would.

They also concluded the methods the German researchers used to measure aerobic energy expenditure were flawed.

Bottom line: There was “insufficient evidence” he had a competitive edge, Herr, Kram and Grabowski concluded.

How can you really determine conclusively whether someone has an advantage or disadvantage?”

They made their case before the Court of Arbitration for Sport — and won. Pistorius (who in 2015 would be convicted of murdering his girlfriend and ultimately sentenced to more than a decade in prison) was eligible for Olympic competition.

At the 2012 summer Olympic games, he made history, running the 400-meter event in 45.44 seconds, the first double-amputee ever to participate.

“For kids who had an amputation and for adults who had some sort of physical disability — to see this guy push the boundaries like that, it opened a door,” Grabowski said.

She’s worked hard to keep it open.

Burden of Proof

Today, six years after Pistorius’ Olympic debut, the IAAF maintains a 2007 rule prohibiting mechanical aids, unless an athlete can prove they don’t provide a competitive advantage.

Essentially, Grabowski said, amputee athletes are guilty until proven innocent by science.

That stance, and similar polices by high school and college governing bodies, puts her rare expertise in high demand.

In 2016, she provided scientific evidence to the NCAA that paved the way for below-the-knee amputee Nicky Maxwell to run track at Harvard.

To catch blades that fly loose: A net behind the treadmill.

In 2017, she persuaded the NCAA that — as with Pistorius — there was no scientific evidence suggesting high school sprinter Hunter Woodhall, whose legs were amputated below the knee in infancy, is advantaged by his prostheses.

“I am running in college in large part due to Alena and her work,” Woodhall, 19, said from his dorm room at the University of Arkansas. He is the first double-amputee ever to earn a Division 1 track and field scholarship.

Meanwhile, German long-jumper Rehm is waiting for science to answer key questions about his blade.

His hopes of competing in the 2016 Rio Olympics were dashed after the IAAF determined he’d failed to prove he had no advantage. Grabowski, who has studied Rehm extensively, determined his prosthesis decreases his run-up speed but provides a more efficient take-off for the long-jump. She’ll study amputee long-jumpers further.

“It’s an important question, but also an elusive question,” she said. “How can you really determine conclusively whether someone has an advantage or disadvantage?”

Building a Better Blade

At ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ, Grabowski has her own state-of-the art treadmill, a shiny $100,000 machine that can clock runners at up to 30 mph and measure their force in 3D. Sometimes she places a net at the back in case their blades come loose.

One morning this spring, 35-year-old trail runner and marathoner Steve Hinson, who lost a leg in a lawnmower accident at age 9, hopped on the treadmill with dozens of sensors affixed to his body.

As he ran at various speeds and inclines, fresh data accumulating, Grabowski looked on, contemplating ways to help him and runners like him.

Contrary to common belief, prosthetic blades haven’t advanced much in the past decade, she said. For sprinters, they feel awkward and cumbersome in the starting blocks, and they perform poorly in curves. For trail runners, the inert limbs can be uncomfortable over long distances, and they lack the sensory feedback mechanisms that aid smooth movement up and down hills.

“I think we can do a lot better,” Grabowski said.

She envisions a day when impaired athletes can choose among various blades — models sanctioned by sound science for use in strictly governed competitions, and models for anything-goes fun-runs, which might, indeed, help them push beyond the limits of the human body.

Ultimately, blade runners say, athletic success at the highest level requires more than technology.

“The reality is, no one can just put on a pair of blades and be instantly fast,” said Woodhall, the Arkansas runner. “You still have to train and lift and take care of yourself and put in the work. No one wants to have all that work discredited by people saying the only reason you can do what you do is because of your blades. That’s why the work she is doing is so important.”

Photos by Glenn Asakawa

ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ’s Alena Grabowski is helping a new generation of amputee athletes reimagine what’s possible.

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Sports Briefs – Winter 2017

Anonymous — Fri, 01 Dec 2017 20:05:00 +0000

Sports Briefs – Winter 2017 Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 12/01/2017 - 13:05

Jennifer Osieczanek

Stats

3-0

Sweep by the Buffs for first-ever win against USC in volleyball

Number of newcomers on 13-member women's basletball team

School record for soccer shutouts in a season

Jersey number of Heisman Trophy-winning tailback Rashaan Salaam (Soc ex’95), retired by the Buffs Oct. 28

700th

Football win by the Buffs, notched in a 44-28 Homecoming game victory over Cal Oct. 28

Boyle Questions NCAA Decision

Freshman forward Evan Battey (A&S’21) will take an academic redshirt for the 2017-18 men’s basketball season after a ruling by the NCAA that he didn’t meet the requirement of graduating from high school in four years.

Battey repeated ninth grade, partly because of “personal and family issues,” ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ coach Tad Boyle said.

“I'm extremely disappointed,” Boyle told cubuffs.com. “It's a little bit ironic to me with all the things that are going on with college basketball ... North Carolina academic scandal, they lawyer up and fight the NCAA for two years and they win on a technicality. They get off scot free. There’s an FBI investigation going on, there’s been four assistant coaches [at other schools] that have been arrested by the FBI. As of today, nothing has happened to those four schools. No ramifications for those sorts of things. … [But] Evan Battey gets punished.”

Battey, who practiced but could not play during his senior season in high school because of the two-year stint in ninth grade, is trying to look on the bright side.

“It will give me time to get my body in shape,” he said.

Buffs Bits

Dave Plati (Jour’82), associate athletic director for sports information, ended his streak of 410 consecutive ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ football games worked when he missed the Buffs’ road game at Oregon State in October on account of health. (“I’ll be fine,” Plati said.) Plati’s streak started Nov. 19, 1983, when the Buffs beat Kansas State. According to Plati, the record is likely 502 consecutive football games worked by the late Bob Bradley of Clemson. … Kaitlyn Benner (ChemBio, Soc’18) earned the Pac-12 Women’s Cross Country Scholar-Athlete of the Year award. She has a 3.93 GPA while majoring in chemical and biological engineering. … Kirsty Hodgkins (MechEngr’20) was named the Pac-12 Women’s Golfer of the Month in October. She claimed medalist honors as the Buffs won the team title at the CDA Resort Collegiate Invitational in Idaho. The men’s golf team tied for the team title in its own Mark Simpson-ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Invitational.

Photo by Teresa Lee Photography

Tad Boyle questions NCAA decision, Dave Plati's football streak ends and other sports tidbits.

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Winter 2017

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Dominant Cross-Country Takes Pac-12 Title

Anonymous — Fri, 01 Dec 2017 20:00:00 +0000

Dominant Cross-Country Takes Pac-12 Title Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 12/01/2017 - 13:00

Jennifer Osieczanek

With a women’s victory at the Pac-12 Championships in late October, the Buffs have won 10 of 14 conference team titles since ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ and Utah joined in 2011.

Leading the way this fall was junior Dani Jones (IntPhys’20), who claimed the individual crown in the women’s 6K race with a time of 18 minutes, 57.3 seconds. Jones, who was named the Pac-12 Women’s Cross Country Athlete of the Year, is the first Buff to earn an individual cross-country title since Jenny Simpson (Econ, PolSci’09) won the Big 12 Championships in 2009.

“She was smart and patient,” ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ cross-country coach Mark Wetmore said of Jones. “She kept herself within the front the whole time and closed hard.”

Kaitlyn Benner (ChemBioEngr, Soc’18) and Sage Hurta (ApMath, ChemBioEngr’19) also finished in the top 10 to lead ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ to an 18-point victory over Oregon and Stanford, which tied for second. The win marked ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ’s third women’s conference title in as many years.

ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ’s men finished second to Stanford by just six points, in what was essentially a two-team race. UCLA was a distant third, 56 points behind the Buffs.

Stanford’s Grant Fisher won the men’s 8K race in 23:44.9, with ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ’s Joe Klecker (BioChem’20) second, less than 4 seconds later (23:48.0).

Prior to 2017, the ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ men had claimed all six of the Pac-12 team titles in cross-country.

“I think our men ran their best race of the year,” said Wetmore. “We are smart and patient and ran really hard. We knew Stanford was coming in as a team that was a little under-ranked. It was a war and we lost by a couple of points, but I am real proud and happy.”

Read the results of the NCAA cross-country championships here.

Photo by Gary Breedlove

ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ is synonymous with cross-country excellence.

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Cross-Country Teams Place High, But Not First

Anonymous — Thu, 30 Nov 2017 22:49:23 +0000

Cross-Country Teams Place High, But Not First Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 11/30/2017 - 15:49

After a one-two finish at the Pac-12 Cross Country Championship in October, the ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ women’s and men’s cross-country teams finished the season among the nation’s top 10, but short of national titles.

The ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ women snagged third place in the Nov. 18 NCAA Cross Country Championships in Louisville, Ky., the team’s 10th podium finish since 1976. The men, who placed second in the Pac-12, came in eighth overall.

In a blustery 6K women’s race, junior Dani Jones (IntPhys’20) claimed ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ’s top finish with a time of 19:47.0. The University of New Mexico ultimately took first place.

Three ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ women — Jones, Sage Hurta (ApMath, ChemBioEngr’19) and Kaitlyn Benner (ChemBioEngr, Soc’18) — earned All-American honors for finishing in the top 40.

On the men’s team, freshman Eduardo Herrera (A&S’21) had the Buffs’ best race finishing 33rd in 29:55.4. He earned All-American honors. Top-ranked Northern Arizona won for the second year in a row.

“I’m very happy with the women,” said head coach Mark Wetmore. “I’m happy with some of the men — now we have a big rest and back to work for next year.”

The Buffs women’s team take third, the men eighth at NCAA championships

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Running

The Sustainable Runner

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Run for Ruth

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What's next for you?

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Breaking the Two-Hour Marathon

Now: Oct. 12, 2019

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Running Across America

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Toughest Footrace on Earth

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Blade Runners

Unfair Advantage?

Burden of Proof

Building a Better Blade

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Sports Briefs – Winter 2017

Stats

Boyle Questions NCAA Decision

Buffs Bits

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Dominant Cross-Country Takes Pac-12 Title

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Cross-Country Teams Place High, But Not First

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