On the Run with Matt McGowan - From mid May – mid July print RUNOHIO

(Matt McGowan, May 2008, RunOhio) Numerous road races and track and field meets will be contested during the next few months. A runner doesn’t have to look too far to find a road race in the area. Hopefully, your training has been going well and you will be able to test your fitness in an upcoming race.

May and June are big months for track meets, as high school and collegiate runners will be trying their best in their conference, State and National Championships. The Ohio High School State Track and Field Championships will be held on June 6th and June 7th at the Ohio State University Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium. On June 20th – 22 th Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium will also be the site of the USA Junior Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Hopefully, you can attend these championships.

My brother Jeff and I have been lucky enough to cover four of the last five U.S. Olympic Team Trials-Track & Field. We plan to be in Eugene, Oregon next month for this year’s Olympic Trials. It is my hope to provide daily updates, pictures and a blog from the Trials on www.runohio.com It is always great to cover these Championships; the competition is great and we have been able to witness many American Records and a few World Records.

Two women on the RUNOHIO/Second Sole Racing team, (which won the USATF Club Cross Country Championships last December), Tara Storage and Kara Storage, recently ran personal bests and met the “B” standard for the 10,000 meters for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials-Track & Field. Hopefully, their times will be in the top twenty-four and they will be competing in the Trials. A few of the other women on the team also hope to run a time to make it to the starting line. Good luck to everyone participating.

Four years ago at the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team Trials-Track & Field in Sacramento, California, 1964 Olympic 5,000 meter Gold medallist, Bob Schul was discussing with me his desire to put together a DVD spotlighting some of the athletes who helped make distance running in the USA what it is today. Bob's goal of doing this will take place during the 2008 U.S. Olympic Track & Field Team Trials in Eugene this summer. He has created a web site spotlighting the athletes from the 1950's and early ‘60s . Check out the Running Legends mission and goals - www.distancelegends.com also more information at - http://www.runohio.com/news/04-25-08Ledgends.html

Congratulations to Ann Alyanak (another member of the RUNOHIO/Second Sole team which won the USATF Club Cross Country Championships) who ran an excellent race to finish seventh in last month’s U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Women's Marathon. Ann’s time of 2:34:46 was over a four-minute personal best. Also, congratulations to Ohioans Rachel Kinsman who placed twenty-fifth and to Melissa Rittenhouse and Becki Michael who also competed.

Great effort to all of the runners who ran in the 112th BAA Boston Marathon last month. If you see Bexley’s Michael Barr at a race this summer congratulate him on his 30th running of Boston Marathon. Barr has constantly been one of the top athletes in his age group at this prestigious marathon.

Former Bishop Watterson and Ohio State University’s runner, Nicole Gliem (1:16:58) was the top American woman with her third place finish in the OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon.

Jim Jurcevich and I will be the co-race directors of the 31st annual Columbus 10K on June 8th. Hopefully, if you are looking for a 10km to run in June you will register for this downtown event. The race will serve as the USATF Ohio 10K Championships and is part of the RUNOHIO Grand Prix. You can register online at https://www.signmeup.com/4B2VNK7. After the race many runners will go to the Columbus Arts Festival, which will be held a few blocks down the street.

This summer I will be helping with the 3rd annual Granville Bryn Du Summer Cross Country Series. Because I will be out of town at the Olympic Trials at the end of June, there will be only three races this summer: July 10th, July 24th and August 7th.

Also, for the third year this summer the cross country/track coaches at Bishop Watterson and Whetstone High Schools will be working together to present the Watterson/Whetstone Alumni Cross Country 5km on July 26th . I coach at Watterson. The event is open to students and alumni from both schools as well as their parents. The event has been a good community builder for these two schools, which are near the Whetstone Park of Roses. For an entry form – http://www.bishopwatterson.com/files/TrackandCrossCountryAlu...

Another event this summer that I will be helping with will be the CREW 5K on Saturday, August 16th. The cross-coaches at Bishop Watterson and St. Frances DeSales High School will be working together to help organize this run/walk. The Columbus Crew sponsors the race, which finishes at mid-field of the Crew soccer field. All participants will also get a free ticket to go to the Columbus Crew – Dallas game the evening of the race. More information will be posted on the RUNOHIO web site – http://www.runohio.com/features/Crew5K.html and will be in the next issue of RUNOHIO.

This issue is a mid May – mid July issue as the next issue will come out in mid July and have pictures and results from the Olympic Track and Field Trials. The deadline for the mid July – mid August issue is June 17th.

Hopefully, you will take a few minutes to renew your subscription, subscribe for the first time, or get a subscription for a friend or family member who is a runner. The price for a one-year (seven issues) subscription is the same price it was when we started in 1988, only $10 - https://www.signmeup.com/4B2VNK7 Also, check out the RUNOHIO t-shirts and ball caps for sale -
http://www.runohio.com/media/other/T-shirt_1.pdf

Good luck with your training and racing and I hope to see you at a road race or track meet this summer.

Matt McGowan