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USA 25K Championships: Fernando Cabada Wins Second Title, Molly Pritz Dominates Women's Race
From USA Track & FieldMay 16, 2011
Grand Rapids, MI
American record-holder Fernando Cabada of Boulder, CO ran 1:15:41 to reclaim the men's 25K title he first won in 2006; and Molly Pritz of Rochester Hills, MI (Brooks-Hanson Distance Project) won her first national title (1:25:38) at the USA 25K Championships on Saturday, May 14. The championships were hosted for the 18th year by the Fifth Third River Bank Run in Grand Rapids, MI.
In cool, rainy conditions, defending champion Andrew Carlson of Minneapolis, MN (Team USA Minnesota), teammate Josh Moen, Nick Arciniaga of Flagstaff, AZ (Team USA Arizona), and Fernando Cabada established themselves as the primary contenders in the men's race with an opening mile of 4:39.
After Fasil Bizuneh (Team USA Arizona) joined the lead group at three miles, each of the five contenders took brief turns at the lead. After a 5:00 seventh mile, Josh Moen increased the pace (eighth mile in 4:47), and dropped Fasil Bizuneh and Nick Arciniaga.
From mile nine to eleven, Fernando Cabada, Josh Moen and Andrew Carlson each took brief turns at the lead. As the trio made their way up a hill, Cabada began his push, opening a five meter gap. By mile 12, he had increased his lead to 50 meters.
During the final miles, Cabada, 29, increased his lead to a 28 second margin of victory (1:15:41) ahead of Moen (1:16:09). Carlson earned third in 1:16:35, Arciniaga finished fourth (1:17:22), and Matt Gabrielson of Saint Louis Park, MN (Team USA Minnesota) moved into fifth (1:17:50).
In the women's race, Molly Pritz, 23, took control of the race immediately, and built a three minute winning margin ahead of teammate Dot McMahan of Rochester Hills, MI (1:28:38). Jeannette Faber of Somerfield, MA was third in 1:28:48, Kristen Zaitz of Broomfield, CO placed fourth (1:29:16), and Jennifer Houck of Bloomington, MN finished fifth (1:30:06).
Video Highlights
Video highlights of the USA 25K Championships are available in cooperation with RunnerSpace.com at www.USARunningCircuit.com.
About the USARC
The USA 25K Championships were the fifth stop on the 2011 USA Running Circuit (USARC), and offered more than $30,000 in prize money; Fernando Cabada and Molly Pritz earned $7,000 each. The 2011 USARC is a USA Track & Field road series, featuring USA long distance running championships from one mile to the marathon, and for the first time will include the USA Cross Country Championships. The USARC attracts the best U.S. distance runners, and has ten events for men and nine for women.
The 2011 USARC has more than $450,000 in circuit prize money, and U.S. athletes also qualify to represent Team USA in various international competitions.
The first ten U.S. runners earn points at each USARC race (15 for first, 12 for second, 10 for third, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1), with a final $12,500 grand prix purse ($6,000, $4,000, and $2,500) for the top three men and women point scorers overall.
The mission of the USA Running Circuit is to showcase, support, and promote U.S. runners. Since its inception in 1995, the USARC and its races have provided more than $6 million dollars to U.S. distance runners.
See www.USARunningCircuit.com for information on the USA 25K Championships.
About USA Track & Field
USA Track & Field (USATF) is the National Governing Body for track & field, long-distance running and race walking in the United States. USATF encompasses the world's oldest organized sports, the World's #1 Track & Field Team, the most-watched events at the Olympics, the #1 high school and junior high school participatory sport, and more than 30 million adult runners in the United States. See www.usatf.org.