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USA Men’s 8K Championship: Bobby Mack Wins His First National Title
From USA Track & FieldIndianapolis, IN
Bobby Mack, 26, of Raleigh, NC ran away from the pack during the final mile, and claimed the USA Men’s 8K Championships on Saturday, June 11 hosted by the Carmel Marathon Championship Weekend in Carmel, IN. Mack's winning time was 23:05; the 8K victory is his first USA title.
A large pack of about 15 men passed the first mile in 4:27; the group included pre-race favorites Aaron Braun and Josh Moen, Bobby Mack, James Carney, Patrick Smyth, Jason Hartmann, and Nick Arciniaga.
Shortly after passing four miles in 18:30, the pace began to heat up. Aaron Braun, 24, of Flagstaff, AZ made the first move to the front, and opened a two-stride gap on the field with about a half-mile to go. Bobby Mack was the only athlete to respond, and quickly overtook Braun for a six-second margin of victory. Braun was the runner-up for the third time this season in a USA Championship race (23:11).
James Carney of Boulder, CO finished third (23:12), while Christo Landry, 24, of Ann Arbor, MI placed fourth (23:16), and Jason Hartmann, 30, of Concord, MA was fifth (23:19).
Bobby Mack was a cross country All-American at North Carolina State University (2008), and currently serves as an assistant coach at his alma mater. He was a member of Team USA at the 2010 World Cross Country Championships.
Video Highlights
Video highlights of the USA Men's 8K Championships are available in cooperation with RunnerSpace.com at www.USARunningCircuit.com.
About the USARC
The USA Men’s 8K Championship was the sixth stop on the 2011 USA Running Circuit (USARC), and offered $20,000 in prize money; Bobby Mack earned $5,000 for the win. 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 includes the USA Cross Country Championships. The USARC attracts the best U.S. distance runners, and has ten events for men and nine for women. Aaron Braun now leads the men’s circuit with 34 points.
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 over $6 million dollars to U.S. distance runners.
See www.USARunningCircuit.com for information on the USA Men’s 8K 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.