KIMbia Athletics

Tim Nelson and Sean Quigeley ran personal bests for 3,000m at today’s Grand Prix meet in London. Tim ran 7:48.87, and Sean was close behind in 7:50.02.

Tim and Sean laid off the opening pace of the front pack and move up nicely at the end, with Tim finishing first among the members of the chase pack. He was 7th overall, which we’re mentioning partly so that we can point out that 8th overall with Britain’s Scot Overall. Sean was 9th.

Results are here.

Matt Tegenkamp finished 4th in the 3,000m at today’s DN Galan meet in Stockholm, Sweden. Matt ran 7:40.75 behind Craig Mottram (7:37.73), Isaac Songok (7:38.97) and Daham Najim Bashir (7:39.45). (When he ran for Kenya instead of Qatar, Bashir was known as David Nyaga.)

As he describes below, Matt will now return home for almost two weeks before leaving for Beijing.

Results are here.

I thought I would send an update on what’s been going on with me these last few weeks. To say that it’s been a rough few weeks would be an understatement, but if anything it has made me stronger.

A few weeks ago at the Olympic Trials was close to the lowest time during my athletic career, but as I said, I truly feel like it has made me stronger. My parents were able to make it out for the meet and it was nice having them there to help cope with the letdown of not making the team, a dream that I’ve had for my entire career. Now I can joke around about the race that at least I was an Olympian until the last 100 meters. After a few hard and depressing days, I turned around my mentality and was working out great and ready to take on the summer season.

After a solid week of training we ran a 1500 in Madison as a tune-up before Europe that turned out really well in terms of attendance. We put the race together last minute and were able to attract over ,000 people after making it public for only two days. We ran it quite late, too, at 9:20 p.m. on the 15^th of July. I didn’t run very well, however. I took 3^rd behind Matt Tegenkamp and Jonathon Riley; they pretty much kicked my butt in the last 200 meters. I was pretty upset after that race, as I was hoping that it would be the turnaround I needed to completely get over the disappointment of the Trials. However, it only sunk me further. I was frustrated and searching for answers, but still was determined to turn things around.

As anyone who knows me knows, I’m stubborn and I was/am not going to let this get me down and conquer me. I shipped out the next morning for Belgium, where my next race was held. Once I got over here I felt rejuvenated and had a completely new outlook on my running. I wasn’t having any fun the last few months with running, which I’ve never encountered before; it actually felt like a job, and I wasn’t feeling like doing it anymore. So when I got here I decided that I am going into the rest of the summer with no expectations and focus on just enjoying it more like I have in the past.

So bringing you all back up to speed on my race Sunday night. I have very mixed feelings about it. It went really well for 11.5 laps–I was running the race of my life and it was going very well. Prior to the race I had heard that the pace was going to be going through 3K in 7:45, which is 12 seconds faster than I ever gone through 3K. At first I thought I would run from the back and let the lead pack go and run even pace, but after about an hour of thinking that I said screw it, and I didn’t come to Europe and not try to turn around my season to run even pace. I went out the first mile in 4:13 and felt quite comfortable, so I was optimistic about my chances of doing well.

I ended up coming through 3K in 7:53 and two miles in 8:25 and I still felt comfortable, but the pain was starting to creep in. I told myself that I had just over a mile to go and that I was going to get myself in the front pack, so I began to move up gradually and got myself into about 7^th place with two laps to go. I stayed here until the bell lap where I really started to hurt and worried that I would not be able to finish the race, so I checked off, which is what I really regret. Maybe if I would have stayed in the pack I would have gotten the competitive juices and that would have overcome my inevitable dying over the last 200 meters. I crossed with a lap to go in 12:05, so I figured that if I even maintained pace I would run fast and under 13:10.

Unfortunately, my body, though it held up really well the whole race, quickly fell apart the last 300 meters, especially the last 150. I ran 73 seconds for my last lap and ended up hitting 13:18.51. I am very indifferent about the outcome, because I still hit the A standard for next year, but also went 11.5 laps of pain to come one lap short of running a great race. So there is frustration, but I enjoyed being in the race and just competing with no expectations and having fun racing again. I am going to try to get in another 5K in September that should be quite fast, so we’ll see how that works out.

My next race will hopefully be a 3K in either London or Monaco on the 29^th of July. I will be returning to the States on the 31^st of July to train for a month, with a short stop to the Falmouth Mile on the 8th of August, and then coming back over for some more races after the Olympics. Which include most likely right now a 3K at Gateshead on the 31st of August, and then hopefully another 5K attempt at Brussels on the 5th of September. Afterward I hope to have qualified for the World Athletics Final in the 3K in Stuttgart, Germany on the 13th, and return home to run 5th Avenue Mile on the 20th, which will bring my racing season to a close.

Although Chris Solinsky ran his second-fastest 5,000m last night in Heusden, Belgium, until late, late, late in the race he was on the verge of a major personal best.

In the “A” heat, Chris was with the lead group of eight as they passed 4,600m in roughly 12:05. A sub-13:10 clocking seemed inevitable. He lost contact with 300m to go, and soon after disaster struck–his back went into spasm with 200m to go, and that last half lap wound up taking Chris 40 seconds.  His time of 13:18.51 is still his second best after his 13:12.24 from last summer.

Results are here.

Wow, we knew Matt T. was good, but last night he outdid himself, winning every event at a meet in Madison, Wisconsin. Okay, so the meet had one event, a 1500m, but still.

In a field comprised of Matt, Chris Solinsky, Sean Quigley and Jonathon Riley, Matt held off a last-lap challenge from Jonathon to win in 3:37.94, the fastest 1500m ever run in Wisconsin. Jonathan (3:39.02), Chris (3:40.67) and Sean (3:43.46) followed, with Jonathon and Chris also under the old state record of 3:42.63.

Matt leaves for Europe on Thursday for a few larger meets than last night’s, then will return to Madison before heading off to Beijing.

You can read Madison publications’ reports on last night here and here. Video is available here, for now at least, by choosing the race video from among the options at the top right of the page.

Matt Tegenkamp took second in tonight’s 5,000m final at the Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon. Chris Solinsky took fifth after seizing the lead off a sluggish pace with three laps to go. After leading early, Brent Vaughn took ninth.

We’ll be back on Tuesday with more words and some video. For now, results.

Matt Tegenkamp, Brent Vaughn and Chris Solinsky all advanced to Monday’s 5,000m final.

Matt won his heat, the first. Taking the lead in the last lap, Matt ran a sub-60 last lap after a slow opening (8:37 at 3K) to finish in 13:54.62. Brent Vaughn didn’t finish in the top 6, and therefore had to await the results of the second heat to see if he got through to the final as one of four time qualifiers.

Surprisingly, the second heat, which Chris was in, went out even slower. Chris, with “strict orders not to take the lead until three laps to go,” found himself in second for most of the race. He wound up second in 13:59.65. Brent’s 14:06.90 from the first heat got him into the final as the last time qualifier.

“I’m excited to see what happens on Monday,” Chris said. “Everyone certainly saved it tonight, so Monday should be something special.” We agree.

Things didn’t go as well for Elva Dryer in the women’s 10,000m final. She finished 15th in 33:38.60. “No go” was Elva’s two-word race summary. “When they made that move, I just had no acceleration.” Still, she said, “I know I still have good fitness, and I’m optimistic I can show it soon, most likely on the roads. I like the roads!”

5,000m results | 10,000m results

A women’s victory and the top three spots on the men’s side of yesterday’s Bellin Run highlighted the last spring appearances of many of our road racers. In Green Bay, Wisconsin, Millicent Gathoni notched another dominating win, taking the Bellin Run 10K in 32:51, more than 2 minutes ahead of 2007 Chicago Marathon runner-up Adriana Pirtea. On the men’s side, John Yuda and John Korir both recorded times of 28:47, with Yuda getting the nod for the victory. Charles Munyeki completed the KIMbia sweep by placing third in 29:20.

At the Steamboat Classic in Peoria, Illinois yesterday, Luke Kipkosgei finished his spring season in fine form, running 18:18 for the 4-mile race to finish second, just one second behind Ridouane Harroufi. Richard Kiplagat took fourth in the strong field by running 18:20. Elva Dryer took fifth in 20:44, and Jane Gakunyi was one place and 2 seconds behind Elva.

Johns Yuda and Korir, Luke, Charles, Millicent and Jane will return home later this week. Some of them, as well as KIMbia stalwarts like Gilbert Okari, will return later in the summer for the height of the U.S. road season.

Bellin Run 10 results | Steamboat Classic 4-mile results

Chris Solinsky got a major pre-Olympic Trials confidence boost at yesterday’s Prefontaine Classic, where he placed 4th in a loaded 2-mile field and ran a personal best of 8:15.77. Chris hung with the leaders throughout the race and into the last lap, and in the end was beaten only by three former world champions–Bernard Lagat, Rashid Ramzi and Paul Koech. Among those Chris beat were 5,000m world championship medalist Craig Mottram and steeplechase world champion and world record holder Saif Shaheen. Here’s Chris’s take:

Going into this race I was a little bit hesitant due to the fact that the pace was supposed be 4:00 at the mile which was 4 seconds faster than the race I ran at the Nike campus about ten days prior. Knowing that race was a fluke due to coming off of hard training and also breathing problems, I knew it was not a good litmus of my fitness, so I had to prepare mentally to do what I did for one mile twice.

I got off the line real well and settled in behind Lagat, which led me to decide to just follow him around since he makes pretty good decisions. We went through the mile at 4:05, then began to slow down, which was frustrating, but since I was a little tentative it was probably good. With two laps to go I felt great and started to think what I could do to win. The mistake I made was that I was so pumped to be where I was in the race that I started getting a little tight, which led to my lack of kick at the end. If I could change one thing it would be to have taken the lead with just around 300 to go. I may still have ended up 4th, but I would have given myself a better chance against 3 world champs.

I’m pleased with the race, especially after the Nike Mile, to finish behind two double world champs and the steeple world champ while still feeling that I could have done more. Those next gears will come in the next three weeks. This was a good race to have as my last race prior to the trials.

Many have wondered why Matt did not run the mile on Sunday. It was because he has had a hamstring tightness from training that was bugging him leading into the weekend. He had hoped that it would loosen up, but when it didn’t he made the tough and smart decision to not risk anything going into the trials, as that is the most important race of the spring. We will be ready to roll in three weeks and are looking forward to our first shot at an Olympic berth!!

Here are results, and here is a post-race video interview.

Millicent Gathoni and John Korir produced a double KIMbia victory at last night’s New Balance Moonlight Run in New Milford, Connecticut. John led the top seven men under 14:00 for the 5K, running 13:51 to win by a second over teammate Luke Kipkosgei.

Millicent’s race was nowhere near as close–she ran 15:48 to win by 29 seconds. Her time established a women’s course record, one year after our Tom Nyariki set the men’s course record of 13:36.

Results are here. We’ll back tomorrow with a report from the Prefontaine Classic, where Matt Tegenkamp will run the mile and Chris Solinsky will tackle the 2-mile. And then, of course, our Madison Project video series will resume on Monday.