National 50km Racewalk Championship

Santee, CA hosted the 2009 USA 50km Race Walk Championships on Sunday, February 15 at 7:00am. Under partly sunny skies and cool temperatures, racing conditions were ideal for the first outdoor championship races in the 2009 USATF Racewalk Grand Prix Series.  Athletes from around the country enjoyed the generous, professional hospitality of the City of Santee and the newly designed 1.25km loop on Mast Blvd.

Philip Dunn and Karen Karavanic won the men's and women's divisions in 4:28:53 and 6:24:22, respectively, while Mike Tarantino, Nicolette Sorensen, Tim Seaman and Rachel Lavallee came away winners in the 10km and 20km events.

Dunn defended his 2008 US Olympic Trials 50km win against a small field of racers.  Dunn was challenged early by experienced 50km veterans Ray Sharp and Theron Kissinger but pulled away for a convincing win to grab his fourth national title at the 50km distance.  He also qualified to represent Team USA at the 2009 America's Race Walk Cup in San Salvador, El Salvador in April and the 2009 World Track & Field Championships in August in Berlin, Germany.

Sharp struggled after the 25km mark and bent knee calls ended his day early.  Kissinger gamely held on for second place in 5:04:33 and Stephen McCullough took full advantage of the dearth of high-level 50km walkers to claim third place.  McCullough only arrived into San Diego at 2AM on a late flight from the East Coast and arrived 5 minutes late to the start.  Not to be deterred, he marched on and inspired many with his gutsy determination.

Karavanic claimed her first US National title in steady, resolute fashion.  Her winning time was only slightly off her personal best of 6:21:01 in 2007 when she finished second to Heidi Hauch.  Dorit Attias flew in the night before from New Jersey to begin her preparations for an upcoming 24-hour race in France.  She led the race early but fell afoul of the judges before the halfway mark and Karavanic marched on to victory.

Much of the morning's excitement came in the open 10km and Western Regional 20km races that also started at 7:00am with the 50km.

The men's Western Regional 20km title came down to a last second surge by Tim Seaman (1:37:49), though the athlete he coaches and whom he paced throughout the race was the revelation of the day.  Trevor Barron, 16, shattered the American Junior 20km record (1:42:15, Philip Dunn, 1990) with his second place time of 1:37:49. Jose Moncada rounded out the podium finishers with a respectable first 20km effort of 1:45:13.

On the women's side, Rachel Lavallee from Canada won in 1:38:30, but the Western Region title belonged to American Solomiya Login from Philadelphia, PA in 1:48:43.  Lavallee tagged along with Seaman and Barron for well over 12km before they pulled away leaving her to a new personal record and a great season opener.  After Login, Darlene Backlund (2:23:06) and Kathleen Frable (2:25:36) notched top three finishes.

Mike Tarantino bolted out of the blocks in the open men's 10km and cruised to a comfortable win in 44:43. Tarantino qualified for Indoor Nationals the evening before with a solo 12:11 effort on a local college track, so he had a busy weekend of walking.  He was followed home by 14-year-old phenomenon Tyler Sorensen in 47:06, a large personal best.  Trevor Barron's new American Junior record at 20km may not be safe for long with the younger Sorensen fast on his heels.

Nicolette Sorensen, the speedy 13-year-old from Lafayette, crushed her personal best in an outstanding 55:10 to take the women's 10km title over San Diegan Liz Salvato (57:20).  These three young walkers, Barron and the Sorensen siblings, were very exciting to watch and should certainly make an impact for years to come.

The City of Santee is to be thanked for their incredible logistical support of this event.  They delivered a first-class venue, top-notch support staff and ideal weather, just as promised.  USATF judges, officials and volunteers from around the region made it a professional event from start to finish.  An enthusiastic crew from Elite Racing managed the course set-up on race day and couldn't have done a finer job.  Race announcers Tracy Sundlun and John Nunn made it a memorable event for participants and spectators alike and are to be thanked for generously donating their time.

The next stop on the USA Racewalk Grand Prix is the 2009 USA Indoor Track & Field Championships in Boston, MA on February 28 (men's 5000mt) and March 1 (women's 3000mt).  Watch to see whether Tim Seaman reclaims his 2007 national title and Teresa Vaill defends her 2008 title.

San Diego Racewalk Chair Qualifies for Olympic Team

On May 11 at the IAAF World Racewalk Cup, Philip Dunn qualified for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China.  Dunn, USATF San Diego/Imperial Racewalk Chair, won the U.S. Olympic Team Trials 50km Racewalk in February but still needed to meet the Olympic time standard of 4:07:00.  In Cheboksary, Russia, he walked 4:05:10 to qualify for his third consecutive Olympics in the 50km racewalk.

Racewalking in San Diego

San Diego has a variety of racewalking opportunities for walkers of all ages and abilities.

For walkers interested in learning the basics or improving their skills, check out Liz Salvato's Walk2Win training program for a "goal-oriented program offering guidance, motivation, structured training and FUN!"

For younger walkers, several youth clubs offer regular practices and competitions in various locations around the county. Check out the List of Local Clubs at USATF.

Many local road races encourage walking participation, though Elite Racing's Carlsbad 5000 is the only one to recognize a separate walking division.

Good places to get in some racewalking training here in San Diego include:

  Bike trails around Mission Bay
  Lake Morena loop
  Miramar Reservoir loop
  Chula Vista Marina area
  Silver Strand bike path from Imperial Beach to Coronado

See you at the races!

See also:
  www.racewalk.com
  USA Race Walking Grand Prix Series