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Luke Humphrey competing at the Lilac Bloomsday Run in Spokane on Sunday
Rochester Hills, MI, May 2, 2008

Hansons-Brooks (powered by Saturn) athlete Luke Humphrey will be competing at the 32nd running of the Lilac Bloomsday 12 km Run in Spokane, Wash. on Sunday. It will be his first road race since the U.S. 15 km Championships in March, where he ran to an eighth place finish in 45:33.

The Bloomsday Run is renowned for being the world's largest timed road race, with participation exceeding 60,000 runners. It also plays host to a world-class elite field. This year, three-time champion John Korir (Kenya) will be on hand to defend his title. Korir is one of the most accomplished road runners of this decade--winning nearly every major U.S. road race, as well as being named Male Road Runner of the Year by Running Times Magazine in 2003 and 2005. He will be challenged by 2006 Bloomsday Champion Gilbert Okari (Kenya), and 21 year-old Micah Kogo (Kenya) who was RT magazine's 2nd ranked road racer last year. For a complete list of elite athletes, click here.

The race gets underway at 12:00 pm EST on Sunday. Results will be available shortly after the conclusion of the race at the results page. Stay tuned to read how Luke fares on the Bloomsday Run's famed Doomsday Hill.

Ryan Sheehan will try for U.S. Olympic Trials mark at the Payton Jordan Invitational on Sunday
Rochester Hills, MI, May 1, 2008

Hansons-Brooks (powered by Saturn) athlete Ryan Sheehan will make an attempt at an Olympic Trials qualifying mark in the 10,000 meters at the Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational at Stanford University on Sunday night.

The qualifying standards for the men’s 10,000 meters are 28:15 for the “A” standard and 29:00 for the “B” standard, with the field size capped at 24 athletes. Sheehan’s personal best in the 10,000 meters is 28:49—a time he ran while competing at Saint Francis University in Loretto, PA.

The Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational is one of the premier track and field meets in the country. Over ten years, the meet has hosted some of the fastest 10,000 meter races on American soil, including Meb Keflezighi's 27:13.98 American record (2001), Deena Drossin's 30:50.32 American record (2002), a memorable 2006 race that saw Alan Webb, Dathan Ritzenhein and Anthony Famigletti race to 27:24.72, 27:35.65, and 27:37.74 respectively, and a 2007 men's 10,000 meters which brought 11 athletes under the Olympic 'A' standard.

Sheehan is slated to run Heat 3 of the 10,000 meters, which is scheduled for 9:00 pm EST. Results are available at the Stanford Cardinal live results web page. Race footage will be available at Flotrack.

Eight Hansons-Brooks athletes to compete in the Gina Relays Tonight
Rochester Hills, MI, April 25, 2008

Eight Hansons-Brooks (powered by Saturn) athletes will be competing under the lights in the Gina Relays in Hillsdale Michigan tonight.

Ryan Sheehan, Paul Jellema, Jeff Eggleston and Luke Humphrey will start the evening in the 5000 meter Invite, which is set to begin at 8:20 pm EST. Sheehan set his personal best in the event earlier this year at the University of Washington Husky Invitational, where he ran 13:52. In the same meet, teammate Jellema, ran his personal best of 14:05. Humphrey has also run a respectable 14:15 in the 5000 meters.

Patrick Moulton, Todd Snyder, C. Fred Joslyn and Mike Reneau will be racing the Ryan Shay 10000 meter run. The race is the final event of the evening, with an estimated start time of 10:15 pm EST. Moulton leads the Hansons-Brooks group in the 10000m with a personal best of 29:11. Snyder has run 29:47, and C. Fred Joslyn 29:55.

Hansons-Brooks women show mettle in Marathon Trials
Rochester Hills, MI, April 22, 2008

The Hansons-Brooks women claimed three of the top fourteen places in the Olympic Marathon Trials on Sunday morning. Desiree Davila challenged for the third spot late in the race, closing the gap on Blake Russell (Pacific Grove, Calif.) to a only seven seconds, before falling off pace and fading from fourth place to 13th. Dot McMahan was the top finisher for the Hansons-Brooks squad, running an eight-minute personal best and placing eighth. White, who accompanied Davila in the lead pack for much of the race, placed 14th. Yolanda Flamino and Lori Stich Zimmerman placed 38th and 47th respectively, in the field of 124 finishers.

Early in the women's race, Magdalena Lewy-Boulet (Oakland, Calif.) unexpectedly took the lead, and gapped the rest of the field by a minute over the first five miles. Lewy-Boulet was the fifth-place finisher in the 2004 Marathon Trials, but came into this years trials with the 46th fastest qualifying time. Behind Lewy-Boulet, a large pack of contenders--including pre-race favorite Deena Kastor (Mammoth Lakes, Calif.), as well as Hansons-Brooks athletes Davila and White--paced their way through the first fourteen miles. At that point, after surrendering a two-minute lead to Lewy-Boulet, Kastor made a decisive move off the front of the chase pack. She was followed closely by Mary Akor (Hawthorne, Calif.), and Russell. Kastor would eventually catch Lewy-Boulet near mile 24, before crossing the finish in 2:29:35. Kastor placed third to make the Olympic team in the 2004 trials race, before winning bronze in the games later that year.

The definitive moment for Davila came during mile 17, when she made her bid for the all-important third position. Davila ran a 5:45, easily overtaking Akor for fourth, followed by a 5:34 eighteenth mile--which closed the gap from third-place Russell down to seven seconds. Over the ensuing four miles, Russell matched Davila's pace, and maintained her lead of seven seconds, until Davila fell off pace, eventually dropping to 13th. Russell, who was the Olympic Marathon alternate in 2004, joined fellow Californians Kastor and Lewy-Boulet on the Olympic team by running 2:32:40.

With their strong showing at the trials, the Hansons-Brooks women also set new team bests in the marathon. McMahan's 2:35:02 is the new team best for the event, with Davila and White taking over the second and third spot on the all-time team list. Flamino's time of 2:42:53 was good enough for sixth, and Lori Stich Zimmerman moves into tenth all-time.

Arciniaga 10th at Boston for the men

Following the women's record-setting performances Sunday, Nick Arciniaga set a team record of his own--becoming the first Hansons-Brooks athlete to lead all American finishers at the BAA Boston Marathon. In 2006, when Brian Sell placed 4th overall, he was the second American to Olympic silver-medalist Meb Keflezeghi. Clint Verran was also the second American in the 2002 edition of the race.

Arciniaga ran a personal best 2 hours, 16 minutes, and 13 seconds and placed 10th overall. His teammate Patrick Rizzo, struggled to a 22nd place finish, after two vists to the medical tent. In spite of the pit-stops and trouble keeping fluids down through much of the race, Rizzo managed a 2:24:27 marathon.

Hansons-Brooks athletes Patrick Rizzo and Nick Arciniaga racing 112th Boston Marathon on Monday; Rizzo racing just 8 weeks after being hit by car
Rochester Hills, MI, April 18, 2008

Training through a Michigan winter is never easy, but for Hansons-Brooks (powered by Saturn) athletes Patrick Rizzo and Nick Arciniaga, it was a little tougher than usual. Arciniaga spent most of January and February nursing a sprained ankle to health after a slip on the ice, and Rizzo was hit by a car while on a training run two months ago. After impressive recoveries, both will be running the Boston Marathon on Monday, and are capable of top finishes in the 112th edition of the race.

Ariciniaga ran his debut marathon at the 2006 LaSalle Banks Marathon, where he ran an impressive 2:16:58. Shortly afterward, he joined the Hansons-Brooks team. Last fall he ran his professional marathon debut with the team at the Olympic trials—placing 17th and running a mere 10 seconds off his best on the hilly Central Park course. Rizzo also impressed at the trials last November, where he was among the few who ran personal bests on the trials course en route to a 26th place finish. He covered the five Central Park loops in 2:18:30—which was an almost two-minute improvement over his previous personal best. Rizzo is racing the Boston Marathon only eight weeks after he was struck by a car that, according to police reports, was traveling at 40 mph at impact. Miraculously, he was treated for relatively minor injuries--including 26 stitches above his eye--spent a couple days in the hospital for observation, and resumed running within a few days.

Headlining the men’s field, is three-time Boston champion and 2007 World Marathon Majors champion, Robert Cheruiyot. In his attempt to become the first four-time Kenyan champion, he will be chased by James Kwambai (Kenya)—who shadowed Cheruiyot through 25 miles at Boston last year—as well as 2004 Boston champion Timothy Cherigat (Kenya) and 2007 Chicago champion Patrick Ivuti (Kenya). In addition to these men, there are six other contenders with sub-2:10 credentials.

The elite women will kick off the race on Monday morning at 9:35 am EST, with the elite men setting out at 10:00 am EST. The race will be broadcast live on Versus, beginning 9:30 am EST. You can also track Patrick and Nick on the Boston Athletic Association website at www.baa.org. They will be giving 5 km updates throughout the race.

Hansons-Brooks send five women to the Olympic Marathon Trials in Boston
Rochester Hills, MI, April 15, 2008

The Hansons-Brooks (powered by Saturn) team will try to send another athlete to Beijing, with five women contending for the coveted top three places at the U.S. Olympic Marathon trials in Boston on Sunday. Hansons-Brooks athletes Melissa White, Dot McMahan, Yolanda Flamino, Desiree Davila, and Lori Stich will be competing against 181 women for their chance to represent the USA in the Olympic games.

All 181 qualifiers earned their spot in the race by running under 2 hours, 47 minutes in the marathon, or by running under 33 minutes on the track for the 10000 meters. Learn how the Hansons-Brooks women earned their spot—with the short bios and links to recent online bios and interviews below. You can also watch their online video diary at the Runners World. Watch the videos, read up, learn a little about the women, and help cheer them on in their pursuit of the Olympic dream this Sunday.

The Boston Athletic Association is hosting the race, which will be run on a criterium-style course that utilizes the Boston Marathon’s traditional finish on Boylston Street for both the start and the finish. The first loop of 2.2 miles will take the women through historic Boston—passing many of the city’s signature sites, such as the Boston Public Garden, Boston Common, the State House, and Beacon Hill. When they circle back on Commonwealth—towards the start/finish area—they will commence the first of four six-mile loops, called the “core loops” by race organizers. The core loops will take them across the Charles River via the Massachusetts Avenue Bridge, east along Memorial Drive parkway, then back west on the parkway, before crossing back on the Massachusetts Avenue Bridge again, back to Boylston Street. The course map is also available at the race web site.

Live coverage of the race will be available for free on NBCsports.com/marathon, starting 8:00 am EST, and a 60-minute highlight show will air on MSNBC on Sunday, April 27th from 12:00 to 1:00 pm EST.

Sheehan 5th, Jellema 11th at the USA 10 km Championships
Rochester Hills, MI, April 7, 2008

In their final tune-up before they begin preparation for an Olympic Trials bid on the track, Hansons-Brooks (powered by Saturn) athletes, Ryan Sheehan and Paul Jellema paced to 5th and 11th place finishes at the USA 10 km Championships in Richmond Virginia on Saturday.

After a hiccup in training and a lackluster performance at the 8 km Championships--brought on by a cold that swept through the Hansons-Brooks ranks last month--Sheehan was back to form with another strong placing at a USA Championship race. He has placed among the top-ten in four of his last five USA Championship road races. Jellema, who narrowly missed a top-ten finish in just his second USA Championships race, ran a new road best of 29 minutes, 47 seconds.

Abdi Abdirahman (Tucson, Ariz.) defended his 10 km road title, running away from fellow 2004 Olympian Dan Browne (Portland, Oreg.) in the final mile to claim his fourth USA Road Championships title. Fasil Bizuneh of Flagstaff, Ariz. was third, and former Hansons-Brooks athlete Josh Moen (Readlyn, Iowa) placed fourth--just ahead of Sheehan.

Jellema places 11th, Sheehan 13th in the USA 8 km Championships
Rochester Hills, MI, March 18, 2008

Hansons-Brooks (powered by Saturn) athletes Paul Jellema and Ryan Sheehan placed 11th and 13th , respectively, in the USA 8 km Championships in Central Park last Saturday.

Jellema narrowly missed his first top-ten finish in a USA Championships race--finishing just a few steps out of ninth place. His time of 23 minutes, 21 seconds moves him into 7th on the Hansons-Brooks all-time list for the 8 km, with Sheehan moving into the 8th spot for his 23 minute, 24 second effort. Both athletes set personal bests on Saturday, and continue to impress with their early season fitness in spite of a difficult winter for training in Michigan.

The race was won by Jorge Torres of Boulder, Colorado by a narrow .07-second margin over the USA 15 km Champion from the previous weekend, Andrew Carlson (Minneapolis, Minn.). Torres was the 2005 champion and was also runner-up at the USA Cross Country Championships last February. Carlson and Torres were among a pack of seven race leaders who came through 5 km at 14:10, with Sheehan leading the second pack in 8th place, eleven seconds back from the leaders. In the uphill fourth mile, Sheehan faltered to a 4:55 mile before wrapping up the race with what he described as the 'worst 3k of a race in a while'. Jellema parceled his effort more effectively, running near-even splits and moving up through the field from 19th place at 5 km, to his eleventh place finish.

Sheehan and Jellema will make their first bid for the Olympic Trials at the Stanford Invite on April 4th.

Morgan, Reneau and Joslyn top-ten at the Shamrock Half Marathon

With a forecast that called for 25 mph winds and heavy rain, the pre-race focus for Hansons-Brooks athletes Mike Morgan, Mike Reneau and C. Fred Joslyn shifted from chasing personal bests, to racing for place, in what was expected to be a battle of attrition in harsh conditions. In the end, not only did they secure 3rd, 5th and 10th place overall finishes, but all three came away with personal bests. Morgan matched his personal best from the USA Half Marathon Championships last year (1:04:05), while Reneau (1:04:30) improved by 55-seconds and Joslyn (1:05:27) by a minute, 27 seconds.

The conditions proved to be better than expected, with the rain ending before the start, but the wind, matching forecasted highs of 25 mph, was enough to slow the leaders to 5:00 pace through 10 km. As the runners turned out of the wind, the pace picked up considerably, before Aussie Andrew Letherby made a decisive move at mile eleven—running back-to-back 4:36 miles, dropping Morgan, Fernando Cabada (Boulder, Colo.), and Ethiopians Worku Beyi and Ezkyas Sisay. Reneau passed the fading Sisay at mile 12 to secure his fifth place finish.

Chad Johnson and Kyle O’Brien also ran in the Yuengling Shamrock Half Marathon as a training run to prepare for the London Marathon on April 13.

Hansons-Brooks returns to NYC for USA 8k Championships
Rochester Hills, MI, March 12, 2008

Hansons-Brooks (powered by Saturn) athletes Paul Jellema and Ryan Sheehan will test their early season fitness against the nations best at the USA 8 km Championships in Central Park on Saturday.

The 8 km Championships draw one of the deepest fields in distance running—attracting athletes from all the track distance disciplines, from the 1500 m to the 10000. This year will be no different as American mile record-holder Alan Webb (Reston, Virg.), this years USA Cross Country Champion Dathan Ritzenhein (Portland, Oreg.), 2005 USA 8 km Champion Jorge Torres (Boulder, Colo.), USA 15 km Champion Andrew Carlson (Minneapolis, Minn.) are among a long list of potential champions.

Sheehan enters the race with three consecutive top-ten finishes in USA Championship road races, beginning with his fourth place finish at the 20 km last September. In order to continue his streak of top finishes, he will need to run significantly faster than his personal best of 23 minutes, 46 seconds on the challenging Central Park course. For Jellema, this will be the first USA Championship road race as a Hansons-Brooks athlete.

The race will get underway at 9:00 am EST in Central Park. Results will be available at the New York Road Runners website following the race, at www.nyrr.org.

Morgan, Joslyn and Reneau to Virginia Beach for the Yuengling Shamrock Half Marathon
Rochester Hills, MI, March 12, 2008

In other action on Sunday, Mike Morgan, C. Fred Joslyn and Mike Reneau will end their winter training segment at the Yuengling Shamrock Half Marathon in Virginia Beach. The flat and fast course, in addition to a usually large contingent of East African runners should help produce some fast times for the Hansons-Brooks trio.

Morgan and Reneau raced to 3rd and 5th place finishes at the AT & T Austin Half Marathon in February, finishing in 1:05:10 and 1:05:25, respectively. Joslyn ran his last half marathon in January at the Walt Disney World Half Marathon, placing second with a time of 1:06:54.

The race begins at 7:00 am EST, and results will be available following the race at www.lin-mark.com.

Sell and Humphrey earn top-ten finishes in USA 15k Championships
Rochester Hills, MI, March 10, 2008

Brian Sell and Luke Humphrey ran to top-ten finishes in the USA 15k Championships in Jacksonville on Saturday morning. Sell placed fourth—the highest placing by a Hansons-Brooks athlete at the event in the programs nine-year history—and Humphrey ran a one-minute personal best en route to an eighth place finish. In spite of strong winds, which were reported at 25 mph with gusts reaching 40 mph, Sell covered the course in 44:47, while Humphrey managed a 44:35. Teammate Todd Snyder placed 20th, with a finishing time of 47 minutes, 38 seconds.

Andrew Carlson of Minneapolis was the men’s champion and also the winner of the “equalizer” challenge. He passed Deena Kastor (Mammoth Lakes, Calif.), the eventual women’s champion, with a quarter-mile to go, before breasting the tape at 44 minutes, 12 seconds—nine seconds better than second-place Dan Browne (Portland, Ore.).

2008 USA 15 km Championships Jacksonville, FL

For complete results, log in to http://www.1stplacesports.com/grr08agegroupres.htm.

Hansons-Brooks athletes racing in the USA 15 km Championships in Jacksonville this weekend
Rochester Hills, MI, March 7, 2008

This weekend Hansons-Brooks (powered by Saturn) athletes Luke Humphrey, Brian Sell, and Todd Snyder will face their first USA Championships field since the Olympic Marathon Trials last November. They will be racing the USA 15 km Championships, held in conjunction with the Gate River Run, in Jacksonville Florida on Saturday morning.

It is the first time that a Hansons-Brooks athlete has competed in the USA Championships for the 15 km, since the 2005 edition of the race—where Sell ran to a respectable 7th place finish in a time of 44 minutes, 30 seconds. The time still stands as a team best for the 15 km. Snyder, the 2007 Gasparilla 15 km champion, owns a personal best of 45:58 for the distance, and Humphrey has run 46:24. All three athletes will likely improve on their personal bests, and while Sell is among the favorites for the overall, both Humphrey and Snyder could surprise with a high placing in a strong USA Championships field.

In addition to Sell and his teammates, other top contenders include Olympian and 2000 USA 15 km champion Dan Browne (Portland, Ore.), as well as the 2008 USA Half Marathon Championships runner-up Jason Lehmkuhle (Minneapolis, Minn.), his Team USA Minnesota teammate Andrew Carlson (Minneapolis, Minn.), and Fernando Cabada (Boulder, Colo.), the American record holder for the 25 km.

The race also features the unique “Equalizer” challenge format, which pits the top women against the top men in a gender battle for the overall win and a $5000 bonus. In order to “equalize” the field of runners, there is a staggered start giving the women a five-minute advantage based on the time differential between the current men’s and women’s American records for 15 km. Deena Kastor, who will be on hand to defend her 2007 title, is the current American Record holder for the women (47:15), while the men’s American Record is held by Todd Williams (42:22). Both records were set on the Gate River Run course.

The race is set to begin at 8:25 am EST for the top-seeded women and at 8:30 am EST for the rest of the field. To track the Hansons-Brooks athletes or find results you can log in to http://riverrun.jacksonville.com/races.shtml or visit the USA Track and Field website at www.usatf.org.

Hansons-Brooks athletes sweep top six in AT&T Austin Half Marathon; Brian Sell named Honorary Texan by Governor Rick Perry; Sheehan just shy of top twenty at USA Cross Country Championships
Rochester Hills, MI, February 20, 2008

Six Hansons-Brooks (powered by Saturn) athletes spent an eventful week in Austin Texas, capped by a sweep of the top six places in the AT&T Austin Half Marathon. Brian Sell claimed top honors again, and was also named an Honorary Texan by Governor Rick Perry in recognition of his qualifying for the Olympic Team last November. Race director John Conley of Conley Sports, Inc, presented a framed certificate and belt buckle recognizing Sell as an Honorary Texan at the athletes welcome reception on race weekend.

The newly minted Texan covered the hilly half marathon course in 1:04:11 for his second victory of the Olympic year, in as many attempts. His strongest challenge came from teammate Mike Morgan, who led early in the race before Sell dropped him near halfway. Morgan faded to third on a series of late hills, behind a late-charging Todd Snyder. Snyder ran 1:04:58—almost a minute better than his personal best from the ING Miami Half Marathon last month. Morgan stopped the clock at a respectable 1:05:10, with Luke Humphrey (1:05:22), Mike Reneau (1:05:25) and Patrick Moulton (1:07:17) completing the six-deep sweep for Hansons-Brooks.

During their training stint in Austin, they also had the privilege of touring the Dell Children’s Medical Center, where they visited with children, played a few games of bingo, and distributed marathon finisher’s medals on behalf of the Medals for Mettle program. The organization collects donated medals from marathoners and distributes them to people who have demonstrated similar “mettle”, or courage while dealing with disease, disability, or other challenges. You can find more information about the program at www.mettles4medal.com.

USA Cross Country Championships—February 16

At the USA Cross Country Championships in San Diego, Hansons-Brooks athletes Ryan Sheehan, Paul Jellema, and C. Fred Joslyn placed 22nd, 28th, and 52nd, respectively. Dathan Ritzenheim of Eugene Oregon covered the 12k course in 35 minutes, 3 seconds—a twenty-six second advantage over runner-up Jorge Torres (Boulder).

Hansons-Brooks athletes make bid for World Cross Team this weekend, other athletes racing Austin Half Marathon; Wagner wins at the Riverview Winterfest

Rochester Hills, MI, February 14, 2008—After an impressive showing on the track in Seattle, Ryan Sheehan and Paul Jellema will be joined by teammate C. Fred Joslyn at the US Cross Country Championships in San Diego on Saturday. The meet serves as the Team USA selection race for the IAAF World Cross Country Championships, which will be held in Edinburgh, Scotland later this year.

In their bid to make the World Cross Country Team, Sheehan, Jellema and Joslyn will face a field that includes 2006 US Cross Champion and Olympian Ryan Hall and 2005 US Cross Champion and Olympian Dathan Ritzenhein—in addition to Olympian Dan Browne, Andrew Carlson, Anthony Famigletti, Jason Lehmkuhle, Ed Moran and Jorge Torres. Last years champion, Alan Culpepper, will not defend his title.

Sheehan has his sights set on a top-ten finish after a disappointing 37th place finish at the Cross Championships in Boulder last year, which should be enough for an invitation to the World Team. Nine of the top fifteen finishers will be offered a spot on the World Team, with one “wild-card” offered to an athlete outside of the top fifteen if the invitation is turned down by the athletes with a higher placing. The race will be televised on February 24th from 5-7 pm EST on ESPN2.

In other action this weekend, Brian Sell and company hit the roads again in Austin, Texas where they will be racing in the AT & T Austin Half Marathon. Sell, with teammates Luke Humphrey, Mike Morgan, Todd Snyder, Mike Reneau, and Patrick Moulton, claimed six of the top seven places at the ING Miami Half Marathon two weeks ago. Rather than heat and humidity of south Florida, this time the group expects to be challenged by the rolling landscape of Texas’ hill country—on what race organizers are calling an “honest” course that will favor a strong runner who has trained for the hills. A live feed for the race is available starting 8 a.m. EST on www.myfoxaustin.com.

Closer to home last weekend, Allen Wagner posted a victory at the Riverview Winterfest 4-mile. With strong winds and temperatures in the single digits, Wagner won easily with a finishing time of 21 minutes, 21 seconds.

Sheehan and Jellema set huge personal bests in Seattle
Rochester Hills, MI, February 1, 2008

Steeled by a Michigan winter that has forced them to run workouts in the bitter cold and on icy trails, Hansons-Brooks (powered by Saturn) athletes Ryan Sheehan and Paul Jellema had no trouble finding traction at the Husky Invitational in Seattle yesterday, where they set huge personal bests in the 5000m. Sheehan placed fifth and Jellema was seventh, in a deep field that included some of the nations top talent in the 5000m. The official finishing time of 13:52.56 for Sheehan, marks his first time under 14 minutes in the 5000m on an indoor or outdoor track. Jellema ran 14:05.10, a twelve second improvement on his personal best in the indoor 5000m.

Oregon athlete Chad Hall, brother of Olympian Ryan Hall, paced the race through the first mile, followed by a second mile that included several lead changes among the favorites, with the leaders splitting two-miles in 8:54. Shortly after the two-mile, Sheehan took the lead. He held the lead for three laps until the eventual winner Bolota Asmeron and runner-up Sean Graham opened up a gap on the field, and finished in 13:45.68 and 13:46.70. Lucas Meyer of the Oregon Track Club (OTC) finished third; Ryan Bak was fourth, and Max King of the OTC finished between Sheehan and Jellema in sixth place. Asmeron and Graham were both 2004 Olympic Trials finalists in the 5000m. Asmeron placed third in that race, but missed the Olympic standard.

Sheehan and Jellema will be seeking an Olympic Trials berth of their own this track season in the 10000m, but first they will join teammate Fred Joslyn in the USA Cross Country Championships in San Diego on February 16. The race is also the US Team Trials for the World Cross Country Championships to held in Edinburgh on March 30th.

Sheehan and Jellema face some of nations best at the University of Washington Invitational
Rochester Hills, MI, January 31, 2008

Ryan Sheehan and Paul Jellema will be racing indoors in the 5000 meters at the University of Washington Invitational in Seattle tomorrow. The race is regarded as among the most competitive indoor meets in the nation—including athletes from six top-25 ranked Division I-A programs, in addition to many elite post collegiate and professional athletes.

Sheehan and Jellema are coming off first and third place finishes in the 3000 meters last weekend at the Simmons/Harvey Invitational, where they ran 8:18 and 8:24, respectively. Tomorrow afternoon they will be facing a deeper field, which includes 2004 Olympic Trials 5000m finalists Sean Graham and Bolota Asmeron, as well as Max King of the Oregon Track Club, Ryan Bak, and former Stanford University standout Donald Sage.

Sheehan’s indoor 5000m personal best is 14:16 from his senior year at Saint Francis, where he was also 4-time Northeast Conference Champion in the event. Paul Jellema earned Division II All-America honors in the indoor 5000m while at the University of Southern Indiana. He has an indoor personal best of 14:17.

The 5000m will be part of the afternoon session, slated to begin at 3:00 pm Pacific time. Complete meet entries and live results are available at the University of Washington athletics website at www.GoHuskies.com.

Brian Sell and teammates to race in the ING Miami Half Marathon this weekend, others kick off track season at the Harvey/Simmons Invitational in Ann Arbor
Rochester Hills, MI, January 23, 2008

Brian Sell will run his first race since qualifying for the US Olympic Marathon Team at the ING Miami Half Marathon this Sunday. He will be joined by teammates Luke Humphrey, Mike Morgan, Pat Moulton, Mike Reneau, and Todd Snyder. Other Hansons-Brooks (powered by Saturn) athletes will kick off the indoor track season at the Harvey/Simmons Invitational in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Both Ryan Sheehan and Paul Jellema will be running the 3000m at the Invitational--which is hosted by the University of Michigan track teams.

After qualifying for the Olympic Marathon Team last November in New York, Sell opens the Olympic year with a half marathon in Miami. Race organizers invited Sell as part of an initiative to foster local and national support for the US Olympic Marathon team as they begin preparation for Beijing. They noted that race conditions in Miami, which have averaged in the low 60s over the past six years with sometimes high humidity, will provide the Olympian an opportunity to experience potential Olympic race day conditions. Organizers are also encouraging runners, spectators and the public to wear red, white and blue, and bring out the American flag to celebrate Sell and his American teammates.

Sell boasts a 1:02:38 personal best in the half marathon and was 2006 US National Champion at the distance. Morgan and Humphrey have posted notable times of 1:04:04 and 1:04:05 in the half marathon. The course record holder, Jared Nyambocki of Kenya, will also be present to defend his 2007 title.

In Ann Arbor this weekend, Ryan Sheehan will begin his track season at the Harvey/Simmons Invitational. He and Hansons-Brooks newcomer Paul Jellema, will be racing the 3000m on Saturday. Both will be looking to improve their personal bests of 8:09 and 8:13, respectively. Sheehan is coming off a very successful road season which included a 1:03:36 personal best at the Wellstone’s Dallas White Rock Half Marathon, as well as a fourth place finish and personal best at the US 20k Championships in New Haven. He was also a member of the United States’ fourth place International Chiba Ekiden team last November.

Disney, Houston, and Rock n Roll
01/12/08 - 01/13/08

What a crazy, fun, successful weekend! With six athletes in Orlando for the always fun Disney Marathon weekend; three athletes competing in Houston for the Aramco half marathon, and four guys making the ultimate sacrifice (sarcasm) pacing a group of women in Phoenix in the Rock n Roll marathon.

The weekend began on Friday in Disney World with a strong showing in the half marathon. Jon Hughes, Creigh Kelly and the Disney staff roll out the red carpet (literally, for all the expo speakers) and create a first class event. We are proud to play a small part in the success of such a huge undertaking. On the men's side Chad Johnson, 1:06:53 barely nipped Fred Joslyn, 1:06:54 for the victory, with Patrick Rizzo picking up 3rd a mere 10 seconds back. Patrick was willing to settle for third as long as it didn't mean he would miss out on a hug from Donald Duck. Allen Wagner rounded out the group with a 5th place finish, giving the group four of the top five finishers in the half marathon. The women were not to be out done as Yolanda Flamino finished 2nd in 1:18:49 and Lori Stich Zimmerman finished 3rd in 1:20:22. The women's champion was Jacksonville's Kim Pawlek who finished in 1:18:07.

On Sunday morning in Houston, Desi Davila continued to improve and move up the ranks of elite American women. She finished 2nd to Olympian Kate O'Neill, in a personal best of 1:12:10. Her second place finish is the best finish ever by a Hansons-Brooks female athlete in a U. S. Championship race at any distance. Desi's forty second improvement over the distance was not the largest of the day. Dot McMahan finished 8th in 1:13:10. This time eclipsed her personal best by over a minute and a half. Melissa White finished 10th also running a personal best of 1:13:13. This was a great test to indicate what types of goals may be realistic come April in the Olympic Trials. We are excited and optimistic heading into Boston.

The third leg of this weekend was taking place in Phoenix, Arizona, home of the Rock n Roll Marathon. Did I mention that Saturn is a sponsor? Mike Reneau, Mike Morgan, Luke Humphrey, and Pat Moulton made themselves to be abused as pacers for several young women attempting to hit their Olympic standard of 2:47. These guys are warriors for their willingness to drop their busy schedules to head to warm temperatures and surround themselves with fit female athletes for a couple of hours. Their mission was a success. Seven women that had not yet qualified for the Olympic Trials, will now be on the staring line come April. The Rock n Roll Marathon staff did a great job in making this all happen and we were proud to be a part.

Ex-wrestler within sight of his dream
Detroit News 10/24/2007

Reneau, 29, becomes part of Rochester Hills' Hansons team and will aim for a spot in Beijing. read more

Running With the Hanson Brothers
Marathon & Beyond - September/October 2007

Based on the Successes of the Old Greater Boston Track Club, the Hansons-Brooks Distance Project Produces Results. read more

Planting the Seeds of Success
Chasing Tradition 10/5/2007

Teamwork keeps the Hansons-Brooks Distance Project ticking

The Hansons-Brooks Distance Project team meets every morning at 7:30 at either Rochester Hills Duck Pond or Stony Creek Metro Park in Shelby Township, MI. None of the 14-man team is allowed to skip or reschedule. “We don’t have rules,” says Hansons-Brooks co-founder Kevin Hanson. “We have levels of expectations. Everyone meets in the morning at the same time every day whether they are running the same loop or not.” read more

Central theme aids Hansons' runners
Detroit Free Press - October 3, 2007

It wasn't as tough as most expected, but it certainly wasn't a walk in the park, either -- no pun intended. Nine runners from the Hansons-Brooks Distance Project were in New York's Central Park on Monday getting reacquainted with the criterium-style course that will determine the 2008 U.S. Olympic men's marathon team. Trials are Nov. 3, the day before the New York City Marathon. read more

A Brief Chat With Brian Sell
Runners World - October 2007

Brian Sell of the Hansons-Brooks Distance Project in Michigan, who broke 2:11 twice in 2006 marathons, is preparing for the U.S. Men’s Olympic Marathon Trials in New York City on November 3. read more

A BRIEF CHAT WITH COACHES TERRENCE MAHON, KEITH HANSON, AND BRAD HUDSON
Runners World Online

Keith Hanson, along with his brother Kevin, created and coaches the Hansons- Brooks Distance Project, whose athletes include Brian Sell, Clint Verran, Mike Reneau, Chad Johnson, and Trent Briney.read more

Saturn Health and Fitness Expo
runmichigan.com October 19, 2007

Took part in Expo sponsored by Saturn for Detroit Free Press Marathon. Had 9 Hansons-Brooks athletes signing posters and answering questions at Marathon Expo see photos

Sell goes distance to prepare
Detroit News 09/19/2007

Final preparations are under way for Sell and a dozen other members of the Hansons-Brooks Distance Project -- a landmark training group based in Rochester Hills -- with the U.S. Olympic marathon trials looming Nov. 3 in New York City.

Between now and then, though, there's plenty of work to be done. And for Sell, the ace of the group vying for one of three spots on the U.S. team for next summer's Beijing Olympics, that means burning enough rubber to make the trip worthwhile. He'll average close to 160 miles a week in training over the next few weeks -- roughly equivalent to a trip from his front door in Rochester to the Nov. 3 starting line in front of Rockefeller Center. read more

Alone no more, marathoner joins Hansons-Brooks
Detroit Free Press 09/19/2007

Reneau, a former college wrestler at Wyoming, joined the Hansons-Brooks Distance Project six months ago. Among the goals of the Rochester Hills-based running club, founded nearly eight years ago by brothers Kevin and Keith Hanson, is to develop distance running -- specifically, marathoners -- in the United States.

So far, their concept has been working. read more

San Francisco Marathon
07/29/2007

After getting hurt before the 2007 Boston Marathon, Yolanda Flamino decided she should get another marathon experience under her belt prior to the 2008 Olympic Trials. She decided to run the San Francisco Marathon, what a great experience it was. On a cool, misty day and a rather hilly course she was the first female in 2:43:41 and ninth overall finisher. Results

Sell hits road to 2008 Olympic qualifying
Altoona Mirror 8/13/2007

During his high school days at Northern Bedford a decade ago, competitive running was more or less an afterthought for Brian Sell, who participated on the school’s track and field team to stay in shape for wrestling and football.

Since then, competitive running has become a preoccupation for Sell, and it has now evolved into his occupation. Read More

Peachtree 10K
07/04/07

Brian Sell led the way with a 12th place finish in 28:55. He also picked up 5th place in the U. S. 10K Championship race which was held in conjunction with the 2007 Peachtree 10K. Luke Humphrey finished 28th with a 30:09, Marty Rosendahl was 33rd in 30:24, and Clint Verran place 38th with a time of 30:56.

The women had a good showing in Atlanta with a 34:12 by Desi Davila good for 14th place. She was followed closely by Dot McMahan in 15th place with a time of 34:31.

Utica Boilermaker 15K
07/08/07

Clint Verran's shoes arrived via cab driver from his Syracuse hotel room just in time for the race to start. The first Hanson runner to cross the line was Chad Johnson with a 15th place finish in 46:52. Mike Reneau finished 16th in 47:12, Clint Verran was 18th in 47:28, Patrick Rizzo placed 19th in 47:36, and Trent Briney was 28th in 48:46.

Melissa White was the lone female runner for the Hansons team. She ran 52:34 good for a 10th place finish.

Dexter-Ann Arbor Run
06/03/07

After a twenty minute delay, due to a tree down on the course, the runners were eager to get started. Brian Sell took the half-marathon field out in a quick first two miles. He gave up the lead after three miles and finished 2nd in 1:03:46. Clint Verran finished 3rd in 1:04:18, just off his personal best. Josh Eberly rounded out the top five in 1:08:55.

In the 5k race Dot McMahan finished 2nd with a personal best 17:00.

Grosse Ile and Oak Apple
05/28/07 and 06/02/07

Pat Rizzo led Trent Briney, Mike Reneau, and Nick Arciniaga at the Memorial Day 8K Run on Grosse Ile with a time of 24:15.

The same group toed the line for the Oak Apple 10K a week later with slightly different results. Mike Reneau led the group with a 30:56. Following Mike were Pat Rizzo, Trent Briney, and Nick Arciniaga.

Hansons win USATF Team Relay Champs in Denver
5/20/07

Denver, Colorado was the site of this years USATF Team Relay Championships. The race was a 5 man Marathon relay. It consisted of 2-5k legs, 2-10k legs and a 12.2k leg for the anchor. This year the Hansons took victory in the championships, running a great time of 2:15:36.

Results

Dot McMahan wins Dragon Dash 8k
5/20/07

Dot McMahan wins local 8k with first race back.

Results

Brian Sell wins US 25k title, 2nd overall
5/13/07

Brian Sell cruises to his second US 25k title. Sell ran a very impressive time of 1:14:48. He was 2nd overall in the open race. Chad Johnson was the next Hanson to finish in 5th place, with Kyle O'Brien, Nick Arciniaga and Mike Reneau just behind.

In the 5k, Luke Humphrey got outkicked in the last 200 meters to take runnerup position. Luke crossed the line in 14:38. Philip Lagat from Kenya won the race in 14:37.

• Results
• Audio Interview with Brian Sell (post race from RunMichigan.com)
• Pre race article w/ Brian Sell (freep.com)
• Brian Sell to compete @ 25k (runnersworld article)
• Sell wins US 25k title (USATF.org)
• Photos (photos from RunMichigan.com)

Grand Rapids US 25k Interviews
5/09/07

• Nick Arciniaga
• Brian Sell
• Kyle O'Brien

Interviews from RunMichigan.com

Morgan crushes field at Lincoln Half Marathon
5/08/07

Mike Morgan vs "The wind"! Luckily Morgan's 100 pound frame held him down while he ran to victory in the Lincoln Half Marathon in 1:07:50. There were reports of 50mph winds during race day.

Results

Hanson Brothers Interview: Boston
4/29/07

Part 1:

Part 2:

Sheehan takes Hillsdale in final sprint
4/29/07

A perspective from Nick Arciniaga

This is probably the first year since my freshman year of high school that I’m not going to be competing on the track at all. A decision made by myself and the coaches to get myself some more road racing experience for the trials. But the thing that really is starting to get to me is that I haven’t even gone to watch a track meet at all this year. Last year at this time I would have been to about 20 different track meets already, whether it was to race, to watch, or to coach.

Last night I finally was able to go to a meet, and for someone who lives and breaths running it was like going home. The atmosphere of a distance carnival at night, in perfect running conditions, is almost making me regret not running at least one track race. Just watching as our Men’s team hammered out 25 laps around the 400 meter track I wished I could have been out there with them, even if it was only to set a pace like Brian Sell was. My adrenaline shot up as the gun went off; I think I even jumped forward a half an inch as I heard it.

Lap after lap I cheered and encouraged the guys as they worked together pushing each other more and more each lap as they set their steady pace towards a 28:40 or better, which would qualify them for US Nationals and the Marathon Trials. After about 2 miles, Sell, the designated pace maker dropped out, it was all he could handle. The top 4 guys went through 5k in 14:23, trying to share the lead and keep on pace. But after a while the guys would one by one start falling back, struggling to hold on. For a few laps it looked like Josh Moen might be the only one who had a fighting chance of even breaking 29 minutes. But leading for so long and having to pass lapped runners by moving out to lane 2 wore him down.

Then the last finally 1000 meters came Moen was leading, followed by Jeff Gaudette and Ryan Sheehan about 20 meters back. Sheehan made a huge push to catch back up to Moen, they were pretty much together with 400 to go. Moen, desperate for the win after doing so much work went all out the last lap, fighting to hold off Sheehan’s deadly finishing kick. Then with 100 meters to go Sheehan launched past Moen, and snaked away the victory. Here are the final results:

• Sheehan, Ryan Hansons-Brooks ODP 29:02.57
• Moen, Josh Hansons-Brooks ODP 29:03.58
• Gaudette, Jeff Hansons-Brooks ODP 29:11.99
  
• Eberly, Josh Hansons-Brooks ODP 29:47.66
• Humphrey, Luke Hansons-Brooks ODP 29:58.50
• Rizzo, Patrick Hansons-Brooks ODP 30:26.28
  
• Briney, Trent Hansons-Brooks ODP 31:08.42

It was a fun race to watch, and exciting. I don’t think anybody set a personal best, I believe those were pretty much all 2nd or 3rd best times for some of those guys. That is something to be proud of especially since they only had each other to run with. Maybe Morgan will bless us with some of his great picture that he took, and we can all see each of these guys Skullin’ it for 25 laps on the track.

Verran wins Columbus Half Marathon
4/17/07

Close call goes to Verran after Half Marathon finish. Verran crossed the finish line in 1:06:01. Kyle O'Brien was 5th place with a time of 1:09:05.

Results | Read Article

Women run tough @ Boston Marathon
4/16/07

Rain and wind were two big factors in this years Boston Marathon. It didn't stop the women of the program to muscle up and finish strong. Melissa White was the first member to cross the finish line in 2:42:56. Dot McMahan and Desiree Davila (debut) were just behind White, finishing in 2:43:56 and 2:44:56. Kelly Stewart finished up in 3:00:20.

Results

*Audio Post Race Interviews from the ladies (RunMichigan.com)

Gaudette cracks 14 min's for first time
4/15/07

Jeff Gaudette wins the men's open 5k at Michigan State Outdoor track meet. Teammates Ryan Sheehan, Josh Moen and Luke Humphrey were seconds behind in 14:01, 14:10 and 14:21 respectively.

Results

Mt. Sac results
4/15/07

Marty Rosendahl and Josh Eberly travel out to Walnut, CA to run a fast 10k. Unfortunately they both got tripped up at the 150 meter mark and never got back into it.

Results

Dot McMahan pre-Boston Interview
4/11/07

Dot is the one person on the Hanson/Brooks squad that 5 years ago, you would think would never train and be competitive at the marathon distance. Throughout college, she was a competitive 800/1500 runner. After years of training and racing, Dot toed the line of the Chicago Marathon last year and qualified for the Olympic Trials marathon in her first attempt at the distance. Read on to find out about how Dot's training for the Boston Marathon has been going and to find out about what made her change her from the shorter track races to the longer road races.

Read full article from RunMichigan.com

Melissa White pre-Boston Interview
4/11/07

Melissa is one of the several Hanson/Brooks runners heading out to Boston this weekend for the Boston Marathon. The Boston Marathon will be her second marathon. She debuted at Chicago this past year in a very competitive 2:39.21 and looks to improve on that time and effort. Read on to find out about how Melissa's training has been going and what her thoughts are on the Boston Marathon.

Read full article from RunMichigan.com

Brooks Extends Multi-Year Contract with ODP
4/10/07

Bothell, Wash. – April 10, 2007 –

As the nation’s top runners lace up to train for the 2008 Olympic Trials, Brooks Sports, Inc. today announces it has extended and enhanced its partnership with the Brooks-Hansons Original Distance Project (ODP).

Read full Press Release

Kelly Stewart pre-Boston Interview
4/08/07

Kelly has been with Hanson/Brooks for over two years now. She is about to make the jump from the smaller scale Division II national scene (where she was an all-american in XC and track) to the big time Boston Marathon scene (arguably the most popular/historic marathon in the world). Kelly will be toeing the line with personal bests of 10:00 for 3k, 17:14 for 5k, 35:34 for 10k, 1:20.24 for half marathon and in her only time in the marathon, 2:58.21. Read on to find out about Kelly's training and her thoughts on the Boston Marathon.

Read full article from RunMichigan.com

Marty Rosendahl thoughts: Mombasa, Kenya
4/06/07

Marty Rosendahl shares his thoughts on making the USA World XC team and his experience over in Mombasa, Kenya.

An article from RunMichigan.com

Blog back up and running
3/28/07

The Hansons-ODP members are "blogging" again. Take a look at what the Hansons have been up to!

Hansons Blog

Solid run @ Shamrock Shuffle 8k
3/25/07

Results are in! Josh Moen was the Hansons top finisher in the 8k race finishing in 2nd place. Ryan Sheehan was close behind in 4th, while Jeff Gaudette and Clint Verran out kicked teammate Pat Rizzo for 5th and 6th place respectively.

Results

Rosendahl finishes 103rd place @ World XC Champs
3/24/07

The brutal heat of Mombasa, Kenya took it's toll on many athletes at the World XC Championships. Marty Rosendahl slowly moved up through out the race to finish in 103rd place in the 12k Championship event. The USA Team finished in 11th place with Michael Spence (not a Hanson member) being the top finisher for the US.

Results

New York 8k US Champs
3/19/07

Marty Rosendahl and Josh Eberly compete at New York 8k Champs. Rosendahl, who is off to Mombasa, Kenya after the race runs a personal best in the 8k with a time of 23:30. That was good enough to get him 15th place on that day. Eberly was seconds behind in 23:37, he placed 18th.

Results | Video

Rosendahl ready for Mombasa
3/13/07

Marty Rosendahl, a Minnesotan native will be heading to Mombasa, Kenya to run for the USA World XC Team. With a 16th place finish at this years US XC Championships in Boulder, CO, Rosendahl was able to sneak on the USA World Team. This years World XC Championships will be held in Mombasa, Kenya. It will be the first time a Championship event will be held in Kenya. Rosendahl, will be heading to Mombasa soon after his tune-up race in New York. He will race the 8k around Central Park and then soon after take a plane to Mombasa.

Rosendahl has been part of the Hansons-Brooks Distance Project for 5 years. His time and patience finally paid off. He already has been getting "heat acclimated" by doubling up in layers on his runs.

In the News: Hansons-Brooks Distance Project to Return to Boston Marathon
3/08/07

Boston, Mass. - With the Boston Athletic Association hosting the 2007 USA Women's Marathon Championship as part of the Boston Marathon on April 16, and the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials-Women's Marathon on the day before the 112th Boston Marathon, the Hansons-Brooks Distance Project women's team is now set to make their official Boston debut. The team's five women -...read more

Read Full article (Michiganrunner.net)

In the News: "Snyder wins 15k"
3/04/07

The overall winner, Todd Snyder, hails from Utica, Mich., where he is currently training with an enclave of runners called the Hansons Distance Project. Saturday's near-perfect running conditions (low 50s and light winds) helped him set his own lifetime best of 45:58, which was the fastest time of any runner since Gasparilla officials dropped their elite runner prize purse in 1998.... read more

Read full article