There’s nothing better than surveying the previous fifty-two weeks of your life and realizing how fun and gratifying they were. Here’s a look back at just a handful of the memories we at KIMbia Athletics will take away from 2011. If you had your own memory from the year that included us or our athletes, please share it below!

10. Tim Nelson Steps Down and Beats Top-Flight 3000m Field in Seattle
Who doesn’t love a good underdog story? Nelly shocked American running fans when he dispatched middle-distance specialists German Fernandez, Alan Webb, and World Championship bronze-medalist-to-be Matt Centrowitz in a 3000m far below his comfort zone distances… and with a blistering kick, to boot. Read the full article

Erin Donohue was not about to sit back and run everybody-else’s race. In the 1500m at London’s Diamond League meeting, New Jersey’s #1 Fan got right on the pacesetter from the gun and went after the fast time that her recent performances had suggested. The hot pace got to her, however — the first 400m was reached at 4:00 1500m pace —  and she finished in 4:09.68. Not only was that time still good for a very credible 6th, but there’s no doubt that she won many admirers on Saturday for refusing to let the rabbit go, as happens all too often in big mile races.

That same day, just across the pond, Allan Kiprono took fifth place in 28:10 at Beach to Beacon after sticking his nose in with the leaders from early on. Boaz Cheboiywo placed 14th, while James Koskei finished 15th — the first Masters runner by a whopping three minutes and five seconds.

Continuing an impressive international tour, Erin Donohue traveled to Belgium last weekend to race in the Flanders Cup Meet in Ghent, Belgium.  Donohue competed in the 800m, running a solid 2:02.40 to give her a 7th-place overall finish in the meet.  She was just one second behind the winner, NJNYTC teammate Latavia Thomas.

A week prior, the New Jersey-native ran a season-best 4:07.o4 1500m, giving her second place in the Joensuu Games in Finland.  Donohue’s competition featured a mix of elite athletes from the surrounding Nordic countries as well as several international athletes. Although four seconds off her personal best, the Olympian finished just one second behind first place, capping off her excellent week in Finland, which included a massive personal best for 3000m.

Next up, Erin will take to the track at Crystal Palace for the London Diamond League meeting, where she will run the 1500m and — if her continually progressing form is any indication — have a shot at her PB of 4:03.49.

Lapinlahti, Finland was the site of an Erin Donohue romp in some over-distance action that saw the New Jersey native lop almost thirteen seconds off of her PB on the way to a decisive victory. The Coach Gags-trained athlete came home in 8:55.07 which is the 11th fastest (outdoor) performance of 2011.

Donohue raced in the 1500m again on Wednesday — once again in Finland — as she competes in the 1500m at the Joensuu Games.

In the northeast part of Belgium, Andrew Bumbalough clocked 13:21 to take 5th at Heusden’s KBC “Night of Athletics,” traditionally home to one of the top non-Diamond League 5000m races in Europe each year. While the former Georgetown Hoya felt he was in shape to PB, 13:21 is still the second fastest 5000 of his career (by five seconds) and placed him ahead of talented runners Yusuf Biwott and Adrian Blincoe, among others. Tim Nelson had a tough one and finished 17th, after taking 6th last year in a personal best time.

In preparation for her steeple in Lucerne this Thursday, Delilah DiCrescenzo stepped down in distance, then went out and won the women’s 1500m in 4:16.08, outkicking a trio of Dutch runners and a handful of international runners. The day prior, teammate Erin Donohue competed the day in Bottrop Germany. Her time of 2:02.46 was good for fifth place, 1.01 seconds away from the victory.