2013 Mt. Sac Relays

Flotrack Announces Flotrack Elite Series, Sponsored by Running Warehouse

Flotrack Announces Flotrack Elite Series, Sponsored by Running Warehouse

Apr 17, 2013 by FloTrack Staff
Flotrack Announces Flotrack Elite Series, Sponsored by Running Warehouse
Flotrack Announces Flotrack Elite Series, Sponsored by Running Warehouse



The outdoor season is finally here. Runningwarehouse.com and Flotrack have partnered up to bring you some of the best professional meets this outdoor season. These premier invitationals will be streamed exclusively through Flotrack Pro.

Running Warehouse will also be sweetening the pot for the athletes. Currently, Running Warehouse is working with Flotrack determine which race will be the “RW Crown Throwdown.”  This race will pit the best PROs against each other for a winner-take-all $5,000 prize. Yes, there will be a crown and a big check on hand.



Mt. SAC Relays
April 18th, 19th and 20th, 2013
Walnut, California

The Mt. SAC Relays and the Hilmer Lodge Stadium have been home to some of the most historic marks in track and field history. Twenty world records and hundreds of national records have been set at the site in Walnut, CA. In addition, the Hilmer Lodge Stadium has hosted three U.S. Olympic Trials and what is regarded as “the greatest day in track and field,” where six world record were broken on August 12th, 1960.

The favorable weather at the Mt. SAC Relays has produced many notable records. The Santa Monica Track Club set the world record in the 4x200m (1:18.68) in 1994 and most recently, Shalane Flanagan broke the American 5000m record (14:44.80) in 2007 live on Flotrack.

Last year, the Mt. SAC Relays was showcased by elites preparing the the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials. Most notably, Olympians and current American record holders Evan Jager and Molly Huddle took home victories in the men’s steeplechase and women’s 5000m in during their build-up for the 2012 London Olympic Games. In the men’s 5000m, Canadian Olympic Cam Levins secured a close win over NCAA champion Lawi Lalang.

This year is more of the same. Every event from the sprints to the distance are loaded with top collegians, elite professionals, and Olympians preparing for the outdoor season.



Payton Jordan Invitational
April 28th, 2013
Palo Alto, CA

Flotrack returns to the second premier meet at Stanford, the Payton Jordan Invitational. Over the years, Payton Jordan has evolved into one of the top track and field meets in the country. Hundreds of high school, college, and professional (national and international) compete under the lights in California.

2012
Lopez Lomong miscounted laps in his debut 5000m, but hung on to win the "Most Watched Race of 2012" in 13:11.63. The women's 5000m and 1500m saw world leading marks from Sally Kipyego (14:43.11) and Anna Pierce (4:07.00). The men's 10000m saw an incredible battle between SUU's Cam Levins and Sam Chelenga.

2011
Chris Solinksky's winning time of 26:59.60 shatters the American record in the 10,000m to become the first ever non-African under 27:00 in the 10k. The race also included a Canadian national record (Simon Bairu - 27:23.63), the collegiate record (Sam Chelanga - 27:08.39), and Galen Rupp (27:10.74) also dipped under the previous AR.

The women's 5000m featured U.S. Olympians who tested the 15-minute barrier. The race was won by miler specialist Shannon Rowbury in 15:00.51, Shalane Flanagan took second in 15:04.23, and Amy Yoder-Begley took third in 15:05.59.

2009
Just as the Cobb Tack and Angell Field lights shined on the distance athletes, two collegians shined even brighter in the 5000m. Colorado's Jenny Barringer set the collegiate record in the 5000m with her winning time of 15:07.64.

Stanford's own Chris Derrick set the American junior record in the 5000m with a time of 13:29.98.

2008
Shalane Flanagan broke the American record in the women's 10000m with her winning time of 30:34.39. Flanagan outkicked New Zealand's Kim Smith (30:35.49), who despite having to settle for second, set the NZ national record.

In the men's 5000m, Bernard Lagat (13:16.29) lead 24 athletes ran under the Olympic "A" standard.

2007
In the men's 10000m, 11 runners dipped under the Olympic "A" standard with Galen Rupp (27:33.48) setting the American collegiate record.



RE:RUN San Diego
May 5th, 2013
San Diego, California

RE:RUN. No rules, just race. The brainchild of meet directors  Pete Hess and James Kehaya, this new track meet combines a road 5k and 10k with a premier invitational track meet held at Balboa Stadium. Athletes who participate in the road race are granted entry to the meet and are actually participate in the meet through the YOUR Athletes program.

The schedule for the meet includes the men's 800m, women's 800m, men's mile, women's mile, and men's 2-mile. Between those five events, $75,000 in prize money is on the line.

$75,000 in prize money.

The start list is being updated, but the current list includes the elite athletes, Olympians, and rising stars. You can get to know the athletes HERE.

So far, some of the big names includes U.S. Olympians Lopez Lomong, Alysia Montano, Morgan Uceny, Donn Cabral, Duane Solomon, international Olympians Ryan Gregson, Nate Brannen, Susan Kuijken, and U.S. elites David Torrence, Phoebe Wright, Erica Moore, Brenda Martinez, Erik Sowinkski, A.J. Acosta, Mary Cain, and more!



Oxy High Performance Meet
May 17th, 2013
Los Angeles, California

The Bill Henry Track at Occidental College was built back in 1984 as a training facility for the Los Angeles Games. Now, it’s home to one of the best meets in the nation.

For the fourth consecutive year, USATF has selected Oxy to host one of its high performance meets. Occidental College SID Michael Wells says, “Unlike most collegiate stadiums, [the Bill Henry Track] was built with track and field in mind first and football second, making the artificial turf area inside the running surface wider. On top of that, it boats a very fast running surface.”

Over the last few years, the high performance label has lived up to its name.

2012
The Nike Oregon Project brought the house down with huge performances in men’s 1500m and 5000m. The future gold and silver medalists in the London Olympic 10,000m, Mo Farah and Galen Rupp, out kicked then unattached Robby Andrews to go one-two in the men’s 1500m.

Farah then doubled back to pace his teammate, Dathan Ritzenhein, to the Olympic “A” standard in the 5,000m. However, Farah wasn’t just rabbiting Ritz. Although there was only roughly sixty minutes between the two races, Farah won the men’s 5000m in 13:12.87.

Not to be outdone, the women’s 5000m had their own share of “A” standards as well. Jackie Areson (15:14.31) stormed onto the running scene with her win over Lisa Uhl (15:15.22).

Shannon Rowbury won the women’s 1500m in 4:05.92 and lead eighteen women under 4:10 while then Princeton’s Donn Cabral took some big scalps in the men’s 3000m steeplechase with his win in 8:19.14.

2011
Nike Oregon Track Club’s Andrew Wheating won the men’s 1500m in 3:36.46 and lead seven elites under 3:37.

In the men’s 800m, Cory Primm (1:44.71) won a barnburner over Nike OTC’s Tyler Mulder (1:44.83). There were similar circumstances one event earlier in the women’s 800m, where Alice Schmidt took the win over Maggie Vessey. Both broke the 2:00 barrier.

Who will be well prepared for this summer’s U.S. championships and IAAF World Championships?



Portland Track Festival
June 8th and 9th, 2013
Portland, Oregon

Qualifiers to the USATF Open and Junior championships have made the PTF an annual stop on their race calendar to improve on qualifying marks and to hone their race readiness for the championship meets. The event also features select masters, high school, and youth races where age-group athletes take aim at the record setting marks they've been chasing all season.