Running News Daily

Sam Chelanga won the 41st Annual River Bank Run 25K Saturday

Sam Chelanga, 33 from Colorado Springs won the 41st Fifth Third River Bank Run and USA 25K Championships clocking 1:14:52. Scott Fauble, 26 from Flagstaff was just three seconds back. They both passed the half marathon mark at 1:03:10. Greg Meyer, the elite race coordinator, said on Tuesday that Sam was "the man to beat" having run a 60:37 half marathon and holder of the NCAA 10,000-meter record (27:08).  Aliphine Tulisnuk, 29 was first woman winning again clocking 1:25:34. The race presented by Amway with Spectrum Health the Official Health Partner was held on Saturday, May 12, 2018 in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan offering a prize purse of $112,400. This is the largest 25K road race in the country.  More than 16,000 people registered.  (05/12/2018) Views: 1,788 ⚡AMP
by Bob Anderson

92-year-old Wally Ypma Has completed all but two Fifth Third River Bank Runs

Ypma started running when he was in the U.S. Navy and hasn't stopped since. He has helped hundreds of runners train and succeed in West Michigan. In the 41-year history of the River Bank Run, he has missed it only twice. When he laces up his shoes Saturday, he will have three friends helping him. They will have to start just after 5 a.m. to finish in time. Ypma walks every day, sometimes more than once. His three friends meet each week to go with him. One of them, Ed Zimmerman, says they take it slow and enjoy their time together. "Anywhere from five to six hours is our normal range, but it depends on the day and it depends on Wally," Zimmerman said. Ypma always wears a smile and frequently a hat marking him as a World War II veteran. "I get there for one thing," he said. "The Finish line!" (05/11/2018) Views: 1,591 ⚡AMP

Victoria Crisp, a 65-year-old veterinarian from Nashville, is the oldest elite runner at River Bank Run

The starting line of the 25K Fifth Third River Bank Run will be full of elite athletes, many of whom have set running records. Victoria Crisp, is the oldest elite runner in this year’s race. “I had early success and really liked it, so I never quit. I’ve been running since the ‘70s,” Crisp explained. This year marks her fourth year running in the Fifth Third River Bank Run. “I like the course. It’s relatively flat with one long grade, but it’s very scenic and very nice,” Crisp said. The first time she ran the race was in 2010 when she won her age group. Then in 2014 she set an American record. “It was a masters record time for my age group, 60-65. I think my time was 1:51:46 or something like that,” Crisp recalled. Someone eventually broke the record, but Crisp would love to set a new one — this time in a new age group.  She trains almost every day, averaging six miles most days with longer runs between 15 to 18 miles. Much like putting on her scrubs in her veterinary hospital, running is simply a part of her daily routine. “I feel like if I get my run in, the whole day's going to take care of itself and everything will be good,” she said. (05/07/2018) Views: 1,635 ⚡AMP

USA 25K Open Championships has a strong field, $112,400 in prize money and fun for all

The Fifth Third River Bank Run 25K coming up May 12 in Grand Rapids, Michigan is also the USA 25K Open Championships with prize money of $112,400. Competing again will be two-time champion Aliphine Tuliamuk going after a third win. The 29-year-old from Santa Fe, New Mexico, dominated last year's race clocking 1:24:34. She finished 36 seconds ahead of Neely Gracey to take the $10,000 first prize for the women's event, along with another $2,500 for being the first to cross the finish line in the staggered start "race within the race" against the men.  Greg Meyer, the elite race coordinator, announced Tuesday, "Three notable names are missing on the men's side. Christo Landry, who won in 2016 and was second last year and in 2015, will miss the race due to an Achilles' injury. Likewise, Jared Ward, who won in 2015 and was second in 2016, is out with a hamstring injury. Also, defending champion Dathan Ritzenhein will not be back. He is recovering from an injury suffered just before he was to run the Boston Marathon early last month. Without them, the top returner is Parker Stinson, who finished third last year (1:15:03).  He's a nine-time All American at University of Oregon who most recently was sixth at the 12K U.S. Championships."   Other notable runners include:   Samuel Kosgei, former Kenyan and now U.S. citizen who ran a 2:13 marathon and was fifth at the U.S. Marathon Championships. Tyler McCandless, who finished second at the U.S. Marathon Championships in 2:12, and finished seventh in the 2014 River Bank Run.  Scott Fauble, "My dark horse in this race," Meyer said of the 26-year-old who ran a 2:12.35 in his marathon debut in Frankfurt, Germany last October. Sam Chelanga, Meyer called him "the man to beat" with a 60:37 best in the half marathon and holder of the NCAA 10,000-meter record (27:08). (05/01/2018) Views: 2,064 ⚡AMP