KIMbia Athletics

Across the Atlantic Ocean, there is a vast expanse of majestic landscape, there are bustling city streets, windmills, breathtaking works of art, there’s even something called ”tea time”, BUT MOST ESPECIALLY there is a group of American based KIMbia athletes on the European track circuit. The front half of most of these athlete’s time in Europe is over while some are just getting started. We will be checking in with the athletes to get a full report on how their summer is going. They will be grading themselves on how well they have raced so far and how well their training has been going this season. They’ll also be detailing some of their time off the track to give an idea of what life is like for them on the European circuit.

2009 has been very good to Rebecca Donaghue.  Earlier in the season, Rebecca lowered her PR considerably in the 10k, clocking a 33:08 to win the prestigious Payton Jordan Invite in Stanford.  She rolled into the U.S. Championships shooting for nothing less than a top three finish and a spot on the World Championship team in the 5k.  After leading through a considerably windy second mile and into the third in the 5k finals, Rebecca finished fifth, just three seconds short of third place.  Still, with Kara Goucher forfeiting her 5k spot for the marathon, the third World Championship slot was still in the cards for Rebecca if she could dip under the ‘B’ standard (15:25) over the next few weeks.  And so, Rebecca headed to Europe.

Despite missing the standard, Rebecca made strides in her first European season by posting two more PR’s in the 5000m (15:34 in Liege) and 1500m (4:12.07 in Ghent).  Clearly, the European circuit has treated Rebecca Donaghue well.  Click below to read how Rebecca graded her season and how she describes her first “business trip” to Europe.

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Across the Atlantic Ocean, there is a vast expanse of majestic landscape, there are bustling city streets, windmills, breathtaking artwork, there’s even something called ”tea time”, AND there is a group of American based KIMbia athletes on the European track circuit. The front half of most of these athlete’s time in Europe is over while some are just getting started. We will be checking in with the athletes to get a full report on how their summer is going. They will be grading themselves on how well they have raced so far and how well their training has been going this season. They’ll also be detailing some of their time off the track to give an idea of what life is like for them on the European circuit.

Today, the wily veteran of the KIMbia group weighs in on his season thus far. If you have read anything about Matt Tegenkamp since he finished college running and turned pro, you know that he has a laser guided focus to one race per year. This year, that race is the 5000m World Championship in Berlin on August 23.

Since winning the 5000m U.S. Championship in late June, Matt has only raced once, a 5000m in Heusden, Belgium, and he absolutely lit up the track. He finished 2nd in 13:07, missing the win by half a second and beating a pair of sub-13:00 runners in the process. After the jump, check out Matt’s report on his European season so far.

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The US 5000m team of Matt Tegenkamp, Chris Solinsky, and Evan Jager might just owe their careers to a single decision they each made individually, years apart, but which now binds them together: choosing to attend the University of Wisconsin and put their talent in the hands of Coach Jerry Schumacher. All three now live in Portland and compete as members of OTC, but this past winter, before moving out west, Matt Tegenkamp showed us around the Wisconsin campus where each athlete launched his foray into the world of big-time running.

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The annual summer migration of the American distance runner to the tracks of Europe takes many forms.  Some chase new PB’s and the time bonuses in their contracts, from vacation destinations to tiny Belgian outposts.  Others seek to raise their profile and race their way into a shoe deal.  For Matt Tegenkamp, Chris Solinsky and Evan Jager, trips to Paris and Belgium meant the opportunity to check their fitness and hone their racing instincts for the World Championships in Berlin, set to kick off just one month after their first competitions on the far side of the Atlantic.  Watch those initial efforts, and their reactions, below:  Read the full article

Matt Tegenkamp, Chris Solinsky and Evan Jager surprised the US Distance Running scene with a podium sweep in the 5000m at US Nationals. Now hear them talk about how the race unfolded and what it meant to each to compete with his teammates.

Matt Tegenkamp, Chris Solinsky, and Evan Jager have all officially touched down in Europe to begin their build up to the Berlin World Championships 5000m.  A new Runner’s World video series (produced by KIMbia.net’s own Jeremy Mosher), entitled “From Wisconsin to Worlds” has launched today at runnersworld.com. The series will follow the three former University of Wisconsin runners on their many travels, races, and general hijinks around the European racing circuit, culminating in the Men’s 5000m World Championship on August 23.  Check back every Monday and Thursday for a new video. The trailer for the series is after the jump…

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After hearing James Carney’s comments on his strong 10.000m effort at US Champs, we wanted to open up the lines and let you pick the brains of the rest of our athletes, with regards to their efforts at Nationals.  You asked, now they respond:

Matt, how do you focus during a race, specifically on the last couple of laps? –Jacob McRoberts

Preparation for a race always starts in practice. (That sounds simple enough, right?) But this has been a very tough year of training and our races actually seem a little easier because of it.  It is always harder to get mentally prepared for practice, so we really try to concentrate on showing up to practice ready to put in the hard work.  Once in a race setting I just try to focus on competition!  If I worry about competing against the other athletes and forget everything else, it allows me to hurt that much more.  I don’t want to get in a situation where another athlete is able to run away from me so competition allows me to push through the pain as the race progresses. In the 5k, the race doesn’t really start until the last 1200m and we have worked on staying very relaxed until that point, trying to waste as little energy as possible. That allows me to stay mentally fresh and really get ready for the grind to the finish line. That last 1200m of the race has been a real work in progress the last few years and I am very confident in my finish. You just have to compete!!! Read the full article

Battling a very competitive field in Atlanta on Saturday, Lineth Chepkurui, was able to score a huge win, a fast time, and a hefty paycheck at the Atlanta Journal Constitution Peachtree Road Race.  The 21 year old Chepkurui kept a phenomenal 2009 going by edging out Ethiopia’s Meseret Mengsitu by just one second while also running a PB time of 31:31. She also collected $32,500 in race earnings after sharing a $35,000 bonus prize purse from the Professional Road Racing Organization with the men’s winner, Sammy Kitwara. Lineth became eligible for the purse by winning other PRRO road races earlier in the year. Lineth’s KIMbia mate, Elva Dryer, placed 18th overall and was 6th American in the women’s race.

With the win, Lineth has added one more reason for her to be considered the most feared young Kenyan on the road. Just this year she has won Peachtree, Cherry Blossom, Crescent City, and Bloomsday, a veritable “who’s who” of non-marathon American road races.

In the men’s race, Boaz Cheboiywo was an impressive 5th* 4th place in 28:05. James Carney ran 28:19 finishing 10th* 9th overall and was 3rd American in the Peachtree race, which served as the USATF 10k National Championship. Abdi Abdirahman won the US Championship in 28:11 and Anthony Famiglietti was 2nd in 28:15.

*Updated results after 4th place finisher, Tadese Tola was DQ’d for unsportsmanlike conduct after elbowing Boaz in the final 30 meters of the race.
Full Results for Peachtree here.

After going 1-2 in the 5000m at USATF Nationals one week ago, Matt Tegenkamp and Chris Solinsky sat down and chatted with each other about their expectations going into the race and what the eventual results meant to them, before looking ahead to the World Championships in Berlin… Read the full article

After this past weekend, we couldn’t be any prouder of the athletes with whom we have the pleasure of working.  There was a sweep of 5000m titles north of the Rio Grande (Simon Bairu and Matt Tegenkamp) and three additional US athletes with podium finishes and a national team berth (Chris Solinsky, Evan Jager and Tim Nelson).  But moreover, KIMbia athletes competed this weekend with verve and with guts, even if, in some cases, the end result was not a full reflection of their efforts. Read the full article