FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE        

 

July 26, 2009

 

Richmond’s Benford Qualifies for USA Mountain Running Team

 

Spider becomes the first runner in history to make junior and senior team

 

See race comments and developments on Coach Taylor’s Twitter Page:  http://twitter.com/SteveTaylor7

 

Richmond, VA-  University of Richmond rising senior, Andrew Benford  (Ravenswood, West Virginia) ran the Cheyenne Cañon Mountain Race presented by Wal-Mart this morning in Colorado Springs, CO and earned a place on the 2009 USA Mountain Running Team.  The 2009 Atlantic 10 Conference Track Athlete of the Year faced some of the nation’s top mountain runners and will now represent the United States at the 25th World Championships in Campodolcino, Italy on September 6th.  His performance also places him in the history books as the first USA runner to make the junior team (2006) and senior team (2009).

 

Benford has lived in Colorado Springs this summer and has been training for the event and the upcoming cross country season in the high altitude and oxygen thin Rocky Mountains.  He has lived at the base of prestigious Pikes Peak Mountain which reaches an impressive 14,000 feet in elevation on the outskirts of Colorado Springs.  His time training has been spent on the trails that would serve as the back drop for today’s event.

 

“I came out here to prepare for this race and ready myself for the fall races”, said Benford.  “I’m so excited and feel blessed with the opportunity.  Without question I consider this among my greatest running accomplishments. Anytime you can represent your country, it's something special. I can’t tell you how excited I am.  I’m going to Italy to represent the U.S.!” 

 

The men’s race covered 12 kilometers of rough, mountainous terrain in the Cheyenne Cañon area with the elevation starting at 6,000 feet above sea level and climbing to over 7,000 feet.  The course was roughly a 4K loop repeated 3 times for the senior men. The loop included extreme uphill’s exceeding 20% gradient on single track trails followed by rugged downhill’s that tested the technical abilities of the most seasoned trail runners.

 

“I knew the course pretty well since I’ve been here all summer”, said Benford.  “Coach and I talked about the course and really felt the key was to establish position on the first lap and then push the second lap followed by an aggressive third lap to the finish…That’s exactly what I did.  I felt really, really good out there.”

 

Benford (2nd) with race winner and U.S. teammate (Tim Parr) following the race.

 

Gunnison, Colorado resident Tim Parr won the race with a time of 47:13, compared to Benford’s 2nd place time of 47:48.  The 27 year old Parr, a three time member of the U.S. Mountain Running Team (’04, ’05 and ’06), pulled away on the final downhill to secure the win and a spot on the team.  Benford ran with Parr throughout the race pulling even on the uphill portions of the course and losing ground on the downhill portion. 

 

“I felt great on the uphill’s”, said Benford.  “Then Tim would pull away on the downhills.  He was more aggressive on the downhill’s, especially on the last lap.  I knew I was on the team when we topped out the last climb.  Dan Petty (UR teammate) was there, along with my brother, telling me exactly where everyone was.  The last downhill was sweet.  I knew I was running my way onto the U.S. Team.  It’s a great feeling”

 

The course, designed by eight-time Mountain Team member Paul Low, started at the Stratton Open Space Trailhead in North Cheyenne Cañon, connected with the Gold Camp Path, joined up with the Chutes, followed the east side of the reservoir, back up Gold Camp Path for the loop (men ran three loops, women and junior men two loops), then back down to the finish.

 

This first-year event was presented by Wal-Mart with additional local support from ERA Shields brokers Marzolf/Blessing, Champion Health/Dr. Jeffrey Matthews, Bristol Brewing, Colorado Running Company, and Criterium Bike Shop. National sponsors joining the effort include SportHill and Teva.

 

Benford and Parr join Joseph Gray, 25, Lakewood, WA, Zac Freudenberg, 31, St. Louis, MO, and Matt Byrne, 34, Scranton, PA who earned their U.S. Team spots last month at the Cranberry Hill Climb in North Conway, New Hampshire.

 

For more information on the 25th World Mountain Running Championships visit:  http://www.wmrc2009.org/home/ 

 

See race comments and developments on Coach Taylor’s Twitter Page:  http://twitter.com/SteveTaylor7

 

 

Cheyenne Canon Mountain Race

presented by Wal-Mart

Men’s RESULTS

Sunday July 26, 2009

Timing by Colorado Running Company

 

Place Name                Age S City            St Time    Pace 

===== =================== === = =============== == ======= =====

    1 Tim Parr               27 M Gunnison, CO                47:13  9:27 (selected to U.S. Team)

    2 Andrew Benford    21 M Ravenswood, WV   47:48  9:34 (selected to U.S. Team)

    3 Kristopher Houghton  28 M Albuquerque, NM    48:21  9:41

    4 Alex Nichols         24 M Colorado Spring, CO     48:51  9:47

    5 Payton Batlinger     25 M Boulder, CO                49:09  9:50

    6 Jason Delaney        29 M Golden, CO                49:33  9:55

    7 Tommy Manning                 33 M Colorado Spring, CO 50:24 10:05

    8 Nick Hirsh           26 M Gunnison, CO                50:37 10:08

    9 Aaron Saft           31 M Fletcher, NC                   51:34 10:19

   10 John Tribba          27 M Boulder, CO                 51:58 10:24

   11 Bill Fanselow        42 M Golden, CO                  52:04 10:25

   12 Jesse Armijio        26 M Albuqerque, NM           52:11 10:27

   13 Ryan Hafer           23 M Colorado Spring, CO   52:36 10:32

   14 Andy Ames            46 M Boulder, CO                53:03 10:37

   15 Juan Ortega          23 M Albuqueque, NM         54:07 10:50

   16 Gerald Romero        38 M Colorado Spring, CO   54:17 10:52

   17 Paul Low                35 M Northfield, VT             54:23 10:53

   18 Bernie Boettcher     46 M Silt, CO                      54:47 10:58

   19 Bryan Dayton         36 M Boulder, CO                           55:44 11:09

   20 Thomas Jodoin        28 M Helena, MT               56:20 11:16

   21 Jim Robbins          39 M Boulder, CO                57:14 11:27

   22 Jordan Whitlock      20 M Lynchburg, VA          58:42 11:45

   23 Loren Wolhetz        24 M Los Alamos, NM         59:35 11:55

   24 Tad Davis            41 M Morgantown, WV          1:00:32 12:07

   25 Matt Connors         35 M Colorado Spring CO   1:00:49 12:10

   26 William Gray         40 M Pueblo, CO                  1:00:59 12:12

   27 James Kahkoska       49 M Colorado Spring CO 1:03:45 12:45

   28 Jon Teisher          35 M Manitou Springs, CO    1:04:35 12:55

   29 Pete Van Breeman     38 M Palmer Lake, CO 1:05:31 13:07

   30 David Meyer          48 M Colorado Spring CO   1:05:52 13:11

   31 Chad Halsten         35 M Peyton, CO                 1:07:12 13:27

   32 Michael Pendleton    38 M Grizzly Flats, CA      1:08:03 13:37

   33 Jeremy Rietman       26 M Ft Collins, CO          1:09:54 13:59

   34 Richard Park         56 M Colorado Spring CO   1:12:40 14:32

   35 David Mulligan       48 M Colorado Spring CO   1:13:56 14:48

   36 Al Wegner            50 M Colorado Spring CO     1:14:40 14:56

   37 Chris Shelley        28 M Colorado Spring CO    1:15:56 15:12

   38 Ron Ilgen            57 M Colorado Spring CO      1:20:56 16:12

   39 Steve Bethke         46 M                                     1:22:10 16:26

   40 Jack Welz            50 M Colorado Spring CO     1:24:57 17:00

   41 Bc Laprade           30 M SLC             UT            1:26:25 17:17

   42 Philip Bird          58 M Colorado Spring CO        1:26:41 17:21

   43 Scott Wright         45 M Colorado Spring CO     1:27:08 17:26

   44 Keith Wilmot         62 M Grand Praire    TX        1:31:51 18:23

   45 Mark Smith           52 M Colorado Spring CO    1:39:35 19:55

   46 Curtis Claar         42 M Colorado Spring CO      1:44:24 20:53