14 December 2004
Portland, Oregon

PTC FINISHES DISAPPOINTING 14TH AT 2004 USATF NATIONAL CLUB XC CHAMPIONSHIPS

Looking to fulfill high expectations that had been set at the season’s outset, looking for a top five finish, Philadelphia Track Club traveled to Portland, Oregon to compete in the USATF National Club Cross Country Championships. For the first time in the team’s history, an overwhelming majority of members were focused on the cross-country season, including several key recruits who had been signed earlier in the year. Unfortunately, some poor performances and the most competitive Club Nationals in many years yielded a result that fell far short of team expectations: 14th place.

Round and round and round and round and round through inches of mud, six times over a series of four moguls, PTC battled the nation’s best clubs and individuals. Newcomers Tom Haxton and Steve Gourley had arguably their best races of the year. Tom has become a cornerstone in PTC’s top three, and was the team’s number one in this race, finishing 30th overall. Matt Byrne was close behind with a great run for 34th. Ted Callinan was disappointed with his effort, but still finished as the team’s third runner. Steve’s best race of the season made him the fourth man, followed by the ever-steady Mike Walker, who rounded out the scoring. Despite these valiant efforts, at the end of the day, the team could not come up with the places to meet their goal.

Though the pinnacle at season’s end was not reached, the 2004 cross-country season saw some good team results: 2nd place at Mayor’s Cup, 2nd place at GVH Invitational. There were some sparkling individual efforts as well: Matt finishing 4th at Mayor’s Cup with Ted and Tom also in the top ten, Tom 4th at GVH, and Tom and Matt 30th and 34th respectively at Club Nationals. We now look forward to the spring track and road-racing season; and, in the back of our minds, anticipate the opportunity to avenge this year’s poor showing at nationals with a trip to the 2005 Club Nationals in Rochester, NY.

2004 USATF XC Fall Nationals
Tom Haxton, 30th Place, 34:16.94
Matt Byrne, 34th Place, 34:21.11
Edward Callinan, 107th Place, 35:23.71
Steve Gourley, 169th Place, 36:13.19
Mike Walker, 174th Place, 36:16.25
Paul Anderson, 223rd Place, 36:57.29
Bill Frawley, 234th Place, 37:20.44
Bryan Poerner, 327th Place, 41:39.35

21 November 2004
Philadelphia, PA
 
ANDERSON HITS 50 SECOND PR IN ROTHMAN 8K!
 
"I like the roads. I like the fact that it's a controlled environment that lets you get into a rhythm," Paul Anderson said prior to the Rothman Institute 8k. As were other members of PTC, Paul was looking forward to this weekend as a home race that is a great alternative to the tough footing that is cross country season.
 
Rothman can provide fast times, and Paul was looking for no less than a big PR. The sky was overcast, there was no wind, and the temperatures were cool. Still, the early pace of Rothman lagged for some reason, leaving a giant lead pack still stuck together at the mile mark, which was passed in just a shade under 5 minutes.
 
The pace increased steadily through the 2nd and 3rd miles. Tom and Ted kept contact with the front runners. Bryan trailed not far behind, with Paul and Rob running 4th and 5th. Paul said he found himself alone through the first two miles and thought his "third mile was definitely the worst. But I was happy with the way I closed the last two miles. I was running with Bob Schwelm (proprietor of Bryn Mawr Running Co.) and there was tons of local people cheering us on, so that helped," added this Montana native.
 
Ted continues to have leg problems, but hung in there to crack the top 10 in 24:17. A leader for PTC all Fall, Tom finished just 9 seconds back to capture 12th. Considering the awkward early pacing, Bryan was not all displeased with his showing, continuing on a long journey back, running 24:49. Paul dropped his PR from 26:16 to 25:26! 50 SECOND PR! And this after running the LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon in October! Rob Hewitt rounded out the PTC finishers in 27:33. 
 
LADD FINISHES 11TH IN PHILLY FIELD
 
In the long edition of today's races, Lowell Ladd was looking for a big race and PTC teammate Tim Callinan was looking to get his feet wet with the event he feels will ultimately be is best.
 
Lowell's training this Fall has been nothing short of outstanding. Lowell said he did tweak his hamstring a few weeks back during a workout, but did not feel it bother him much. Unfortunately, the marathon is a race that will remind you of every little ache and pain.
 
Lowell was making big strides early in the race, running far up in the lead packs. At 11 miles, however, that hamstring tweak came back to haunt him. Lowell pushed his way past the halfway mark. "My legs never felt cooked," Lowell recounted. "It was just the hamstring. And that's the nature of the marathon." But making the team extremely proud, Lowell didn't give in. He made his way to the Manayunk turnaround and looked to wrap up the last 10k. Alternating his plans periodically thanks to his hamstring, Lowell proved resilient, running 2:31.35 and finishing 11th place overall! Way to hang in there, Lowell. We know you wanted more, but your determination and effort are just as impressive.
 
Tim had more than his share of troubles too. Tim ran intelligently through center city and out towards Fairmount Park. After a brief slow down near the echoing benches, Tim began to build great momentum. It's hard to maintain that momentum, though, when a person stands directly in front of you near the Art Museum - causing Tim to come a practical complete stop.
 
Tim continued down Kelly Drive looking strong. At 18 miles, his splits slowed a little, but Tim was still looking for a strong first effort. Quickly the upper end of Tim's right hamstring tightened up, and his splits started to go north. Running right into a spectator standing on the course at the Art Museum may have very well caused Tim's hamstring to begin a gradual strain. "But I felt like I learned alot about myself preparing for this marathon," Tim chinned up and said. "I had some great splits today, and I know I will run very fast in this event in the future." The whole team knows he will too.
 
Rothman Institute 8K 2004
Edward Callinan, 10th Place, 24:17
Tom Haxton, 12th Place, 24:26
Bryan Poerner, 17th Place, 24:49
Paul Anderson, 25th Place, 25:26 *PR*
Rob Hewitt, 51st Place, 27:33
 
Philadelphia Marathon 2004
Lowell Ladd, 11th Place, 2:31.35
 

14 November 2004
Rochester, NY

PTC FINISHES STRONG IN SECOND PLACE AT GVH

After placing second in the last two cross country meets of the season, the members of the Philadelphia Track Club were in search of a win at the $5000 Genesse Valley Harriers Cross Country Invitational in Rochester, New York. Despite some impressive performances, the team yet again found itself second to cross town rivals, the Bryn Mawr Running Company, who ran an excellent race.

Racing on the new GVH XC Invite course, the team sneaked a preview of the 2005 USATF Club Nationals course. With hairpin turns, muddy sections and a chill in the air, PTC enjoyed the two thousand meter loop.

From the gun, Tom Haxton placed himself amongst the leaders, looking for a spot at the top. Hot on his heels, Ted Callinan, Matt Bryne and a revved-up Bryan Poerner put the boys in good position early. However, BMRC were matching our boys up front as they made their way through the first of four laps. Moving through the pack in pairs were Mike Walker and Bill Frawley, while Steve Gourley and Paul Anderson looked to keep the momentum going a few strides back.

Slipping from the leaders over the last lap, Tom still found himself on the awards stand with a fifth place finish in 24:51. Though not as aggressive as he would have liked, Ted still pulled out a respectable eleventh place finish in 25:05. Crossing the line a few seconds later was Matty who placed fourteenth in 25:13. Bryan finished a strong 25th in 25:46 despite losing some steam. Mike rounded off the team’s scoring, running 25:58 for 30th place. The final team score read BMRC - 25 and PTC - second with 73 points.

Bill Frawley finished off a few steps behind Mike, recording a time of 26:01. Steve and Paul worked together until the end in 26:38 and 26:41 respectively. Making his PTC debut, Mike Lo Sapio continued to build his base for shorter races and completed the course in 28:43.

A huge THANK YOU goes out to Mr. and Mrs. Jenning for their warm hospitality. They were kind enough to house the team members this weekend in Rochester.

Next up, the team stays home for the Rothman 8k and Philadelphia Marathon. Several members will be taking part in the flat and fast 8k, while Tim and Lowell tackle the marathon.

The $5000 GVH Cross Country Invitational
Team Score - Second place (73 points)
Tom Haxton, 5th place, 24:51
Ted Callinan, 11th place, 25:05
Matt Byrne, 14th place, 25:13
Bryan Poerner, 25th place, 25:46
Mike Walker, 30th place, 25:58
Bill Frawley, 31st place, 26:01
Steve Gourley, 41st place, 26:38
Paul Anderson, 42nd place, 26:41
Mike Lo Sapio, 74th place, 28:43

7 November 2004
Camden, NJ
 
TIM CALLINAN TUNES UP FOR PHILLY MARATHON
 
Two weeks out from the Philadelphia Marathon, PTC's Tim Callinan thought the timing was perfect for a tuneup 10k. As luck would have it, this weekend holds a challenging 10k not far from Tim's home!
 
The Ben Franklin Bridge Challenge was celebrating its 10th anniversay this year, complete with a live television start brought to you by ABC's Channel 6. The chopper overhead provided an aerial view, the horn sounded, and the runners started their ascent up the bridge.
 
Tim went out conservatively, passing the mile mark in 5:30. This placed him 5th in the order behind a trio of Kenyans and Haddonfield Running Co.'s Sean Mick. Tim began to pick up the pace, and brought his mile splits down around 5:20 clip. But the difficulty of the early hills was made only worse by the fact that the lead runners were greatly separated. The Kenyan trio continued to push hard well in front. Mick continued to push hard 1 minute back. Tim the same.
 
Thrown off course for about 15 seconds down by the waterfront, Tim maintained his position to the finish line, clocking 33:00. Tim captured 5th place overall and $125. Afterwards, Tim accepted the race for what it was. It is a challenging course that he ran solo. He was able to negative split and run hard despite fatigue. When you're tuning up for a marathon, you're simply looking for a solid effort to get your legs ready. Anything you accomplish above that is gravy.
 
Tim put in the solid effort. His legs will lighten more with reduced mileage the next two weeks. The work is done. We just can't wait to see what Tim and Lowell run at Philly. Make sure you're there to see for yourself.
 
Ben Franklin Bridge Challenge 10k 2004
Timothy Callinan, 5th Place, 33:00
 

24 October 2004
Boston, MA
 
PTC GRABS 2ND PLACE AT B.A.A. MAYOR'S CUP - SETS ITS SIGHTS ON ROCHESTER
 
According to the press release distributed by Adidas and the Boston Athletic Association, Sunday at Franklin Park found good footing for the athletes that flew in from all over to compete. But there were winds gusting at 14 miles per hour.
 
The gun cracked on this relatively warm, overcast Fall morning, and PTC stepped off the line looking for its biggest team victory to date. Host team Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) showed its numbers, with many of its runners helping push the early pace. Matt Byrne went straight with the lead pack with Ted Callinan just a step behind.
 
Irishman Mark Carroll toed the field through the first mile in 4:30 - but such a pace wasn't fast enough to shake the likes of John Mortimer and the rest of the front pack. Matt crossed the mile mark in approximately 4:40, Ted 4:42. Bryan Poerner placed himself in the third man slot early in the race, with Tom Haxton running patiently with the rest of the team.
 
As the runners made their way through the first two course loops, Matt and Ted found each other essentially running together - although not alone. They were part of a chase pack that ranged from 4 to 6 people depending on where you saw them on the course. The second mile for all the PTC runners was buoyed by the gaining winds in the open flat areas and the first climb up the infamous Bear Cage Hill.
 
During the third mile, runners from other teams started to fatigue and PTC showed its depth and strength. Tom once again showed his running savvy, pushing the pace and placing himself as the third man - eyeing up Ted and Matt's pack. Bryan continued to look strong. But more importantly, Mike Walker, Bill Frawley, Steve Gourley, Marc Cianfrani, and Jay Banjamin started to eat up packs of runners - pacing each other stride after stride!
 
As the last cicuit of Franklin Park began, Matt and Ted still found themselves in a pack that held places nine through 10. Every step counted, as PTC hoped to upset B.A.A.'s potential party. As the runners approached Bearcage at 4.5 miles, Matt ran hard in front of the pack - looking to close the gap between himself and eventual third place finisher Scott Defilippis from Saucony.
 
Carroll broke the tape first and then the runners started streaming accross the line. Byrne 4th overall. Callinan 9th. Haxton just seconds behind in 10th! Three PTC runners in the top ten! Bryan Poerner stopped the clock at 25:09 to be the team's fourth man and Mike Walker came up with a solid performance, finishing 25:23 to be the team's final scorer. 
 
Then in the span of 14 seconds, PTC placed no less than five guys through the finish shute! In that pack, Jay Benjamin came up with an 8k PR by 43 seconds! Congratulations on a superb individual effort, Jay! Tim Callinan, still biding his time 'til the Citizen's Bank Philadelphia Marathon came up with his fastest cross 8k ever (although technically not his PR) and said he felt like he could run the whole thing over again thanks to his high mileage training. Rob Hewitt closed out the PTC runners in Boston with a 26:29.
 
"I am proud of our team," Ted Callinan said afterwards. "To be honest, we were looking for the win. But you can't dwell on things like that. You have to go home, make sure you hit your mileage and your workouts, and prepare to win the next time. I still don't think we've shown out true potential. It would be nice if we showed it in Rochester."
 
That race takes place on November 14th at the course which will host USATF Cross Country Nationals in 2005. There are plenty of big name teams scheduled to compete - including B.A.A., Bryn Mawr Racing Team, Indiana Invaders (Nike), and Hanson's (Brooks). Wish our guys luck! Maybe they'll grab that first place victory yet!
 
B.A.A. Mayor's Cup 2004
Team Score - 2nd Place (46 Points)
Matt Byrne, 4th Place, 24:15
Edward Callinan, 9th Place, 24:22
Tom Haxton, 10th Place, 24:25
Bryan Poerner, 23rd Place, 25:09
Mike Walker, 32nd Place, 25:23
Bill Frawley, 34th Place, 25:27
Steve Gourley, 37th Place, 25:32
Marc Cianfrani, 38th Place, 25:32
Jay Benjamin, 41st Place, 25:37 *PR*
Tim Callinan, 85th Place, 26:15
Rob Hewitt, 96th Place, 26:29

17 October 2004
Lowell, Mass

CARVELLI VICTORIOUS IN MARATHON DEBUT

Former LaSalle distance star Chris Carvelli ran his first Marathon last weekend. He chose The Bay State Marathon in Lowell, Massachusetts. So how will he run this race? Let us ponder that question. This being his first, he will go out conservatively, and just feel it out right? Of course he will. Even though he has speed being former Atlantic 10 steeplechase champion, this is a totally different race, and it will be very hard for him even to finish first time out, right? I mean 3K and 42K are a world apart. Also we must take into account that since college he has not been able to get in all the training he would like to. With his new business suit, and long hours in corporate America, Chris was settling for workouts, and not able to give 100% to his training. So maybe he will run 2:50 on a good day right? RIGHT??
Wrong. Chris had an unbelievable debut, having to use his kick in the final mile of the race to put 14 seconds on the second place finisher, and winning in 2:35:39. He wanted to go out and run 6:30 pace and hopefully finish in the top-10. He did better. Much better. I guess the only question left is what the heck will he be able to run when he starts training for this race? We can’t wait to find out.

Bay State Marathon
Chris Carvelli, 1st Place, 2:35:39 *PR*


17 October 2004
Amsterdam, The Netherlands

BART BORGHUIS WITH HUGE BIRTHDAY PR

Bart Borghuis has come a long way. We at the PTC first met Bart last year when he started showing up to our track sessions at UPENN. Having had virtually no running experience or knowledge of the sport, we had little hope for him. We thought he was going to be one of those guys who shows up for a few times, and then figures out that the sport, at a serious level might be a little more than they want to bite off. That was not Bart. He kept showing up. Then he started coming out to our Sunday long runs. In the middle of winter, he would show up ready to run in his green cargo pants, and hang for as long as he could. But here was there. He always seemed to be there.
Fast forward about a year. We were stoked as hell over the summer when Bart won his first road race, the Race For Independece 10k. He ran that race in a time of 35:10, making Philly Track Club proud of this very determined member. We didn’t know he was just getting started.
Late last week Bart flew home to spend his 29th birthday with his friends and family back home. He was planning on waking up this morning, and going to watch a friend run in the ING Amsterdam Marathon. While he was checking for directions online, he noticed that there was a 10k as part of the races schedule. He wanted to show off his new found speed to his parents, and those cute Dutch girls, so he decided to jump in. Bart came up huge, finishing in 16th place with a solid new PR of 33:19.
I guess we should have seen this coming. After all, 2 weeks ago he did trade in his cargo’s for some flashy microfiber running pants. He also just raced in those newfangled things called track spikes for the first time in his life. If he starts talking about Quenton Cassidy’s 60 quarter-mile repeats on runs, then we know Bart is in 29:00 shape. Can’t wait.

Echo 10k
Bart Borghuis, 16th place, 33:19 *PR*

10 October 2004
Chicago, IL; Scranton, PA; Wilmington, DE
 
PTC DISTANCE TRIO SHINES; BYRNE TRIUMPHS AT STEAMTOWN MARATHON!
 
Last year, Bryan Poerner, Matt Byrne, Pete Dougherty, and Ted Callinan took to the streets of Chicago for the LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon. This year, PTC had a new representative at this powerhouse of a marathon. Paul Anderson looked to better his marathon PR of 2:32.29. Training has been going very well for Paul, but this PTC newbie became extremely sore and achey last week. Paul said this is a common symptom for him after hard workouts or races. But he was set on Chicago.
 
Up to and including mile 20, Paul hit every mark between 5:35 and 5:40. He was on pace for a huge PR. "Aerobically, I felt fine," Paul would later remark. "But at 20 miles, we ran under an overpass and my quads became very sore from the early miles." Paul pushed hard to maintain pace, hoping he could hit his big target of 2:28. But our man developed a knot in his left leg.
 
Paul fought every step to his return on Lakeshore Drive and garnered a well-earned PR. Paul eclipsed 1:35 from his previous best.
 
And though Matty didn't line up with Paul at Chicago this year, doesn't mean he let this weekend go by without a marathon. On the same marathon weekend, Matty made it a hometown affair, running the Steamtown Marathon in Scranton. Matty's determination is punctuated by a return from problems with his plantar fascia and a bone spur. Fresh off a victory at the deep Battle Royale II cross country meet, Matty went 2 for 2 in as many meets!
 
Matt showed this savvy which helped him earn a trip to Birmingham last year - content to run with the chase pack for the first 10 miles. Matty emphasized his conservative approach, noting that he had two splits of "6:03 and 6:00 minutes! It was crazy!" But eventually the easy running would have to end and the racing would have to begin. Matt decided that he needed to start closing the gap between himself and the leader - Gannon White of Colorado. But Matty also conceded that the reeling wasn't easy as he thought it might be.
 
Byrne spent miles 11 through 21 cutting into White's lead. But White was now assuredly decelerating, and Byrne was gaining steam. "We hit a hill at 22," Matty recalled, "and I attacked it from the other side of the street - just because I didn't want him running off my momentum." That's the savvy we're talking about. Matt's hard drive worked. He took the lead and never looked back. Matt won his first outright marathon victory in his hometown in front a roaring crowd!
 
Just a few hours South of Matt, Chip Hazewski continued to show his mettle for the longer races as well. Chip put his racing flats on for the 22nd Delaware Distance Classic 15k. Like Matty, this would be a hometown affair for Chip. And just like the other two races, Chip found himself with some competition. Chip would have to contend with former NCAA DII All American Mark Stallings and steeplechase Olympic Trials qualifier Mike DeGennaro - who makes Delaware his training base.
 
Not far removed from PDR and Battle Royale II, Chip came up big with a 15k performance which might rival his times for similar distances at both the Sea Isle City 10 Miler and the Jefferson Hospital Philadelphia Distance Run half marathon. Our man in Delaware hung tough with the two accomplished distance aces to climb his way into the winner's circle. Great job, Chip.
 
Great job by all three of our PTC runners on this week. There is a one week hiatus, but then the team takes itself off the streets and back on to the cross country trails. It's Beantown and the BAA sponsored Mayor's Cup. Don't miss the results of this one - the team is looking for big things!
 
LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon 2004
Paul Anderson, Place, 2:30.54 *PR*
 
Steamtown Marathon 2004
Matty Byrne, 1st Place, 2:26.38
 
Delaware Distance Classic 15k 2004
Chip Hazewski, 3rd Place, 51:40 *PR* 
 

3 October 2004
Upper Providence, PA
 
Well this was it. Ever since the last runner crossed the finish line in 2003, people have been waiting for this match up again. Two colossal teams entangled in an epic struggle. It's like a steel cage match. Winner take all.
 
Battle Royale II found a great new venue - with tough hills, tough footing, and plenty of tough runners. At the gun, Terrence Mahon darted out to the lead, forcing everyone to stare at his back. But a solid core formed right behind him, composed of Matt Byrne, Steve Walsh and Ted Callinan among others. 
 
Matty drove hard to the finish, taking the overall individual win and avenging his 3rd place finish from 2003. On top of that, Matty bettered his own club cross country 4 mile record from last year's edition of Battle Royale! Ross Martinson was the first man to place BMRC on the board. Tom Haxton showed running savvy beyond his years, moving up throughout the race, and finishing 3rd overall! Terrence Mahon's fourth place finish put 2 runners through the line for each team.
 
Ted Callinan finished 5th overall (PTC's third man) and increased the team lead. But Bryn Mawr showed its depth, placing Mike McKeeman and Steve Walsh both before the hard charging Bryan Poerner. By the time BMRC's Mike Baird crossed the line, the team score was decided. BMRC won the second round of this Battle Royale with another nail-biting one point decision. BMRC = 28; PTC = 29.  
 
Bill Frawley showed a return to form and Lowell Ladd proved his turnover in the short races, despite high mileage, will help him be more than prepared for the Citizen's Bank Philadelphia Marathon. Total, PTC placed 15 guys on the line - and everyone ran their guts out. That's what it's all about. Both teams stood in the center of the ring and took what each had to throw. 
 
Like the inaugural year, this race had it all. There was tough footing, hard turns, draining small climbs that threw off the rhythm of the racers, and many lead changes. The people were yelling and screaming. It was fantastic.
 
We can't thank everyone enough for coming out and supporting Battle Royale II. We had a lot of fun. We hope you did too. Congratulations to all the teams and individuals who raced today. Your representation was greatly appreciated. Thanks to everyone who cheered the runners on.
 
We can't wait to see everyone again next at BRIII. But in the meantime, PTC has other races to run. So on to the next race. On October 10th, Paul Anderson will toe the line at the biggest, and arguably, the best marathon in the world - the LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon. Wish him luck!
 
Battle Royale II
Team Score = 2nd Place (29 Points)
Matt Byrne, 1st Place, 19:45 *CR*
Tom Haxton, 3rd Place, 19:48
Ted Callinan, 5th Place, 20:01
Bryan Poerner, 8th Place, 20:11
Bill Frawley, 12th Place, 20:30
Lowell Ladd, 13th Place, 20:35
Marc Cianfrani, 14th Place, 20:47
Steve Gourley, 17th Place, 20:55
Mike Walker, 19th Place, 21:00
Jay Benjamin, 23rd Place, 21:12
Rob Hewitt, 25th Place, 21:21
Bart Borghuis, 26th Place, 21:23
Chip Hazewski, 32nd Place, 21:39
Chris Carvelli, 34th Place, 21:48
Tim Callinan, 40th Place, 22:17
 
More Information:
www.brynmawrrunningco.com

26 September 2004
Philadelphia, PA
 
LADD FINISHES FOURTH IN DEEP ROAD 5K
 
The Parkway Run's primary goal is to raise funds to help cure cancer in children and support the Oncology Unit at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. The fact that it brings out some talented runners for its race is just an added bonus.
 
This 5k takes place right on the Ben Franklin Parkway. Just off the Jefferson Hospital Philadelphia Distance Run Half Marathon, Lowell Ladd decided to go back-to-back weekends. And the results were positive. Lowell showed his turnover - especially considering the high mileage he is logging for the Citizen's Bank Philadelphia Marathon - by finishing fourth behind two of Bryn Mawr's top guys in Ross Martinson and Steve Walsh, as well as Irish track legend and former Olympian Marcus O'Sullivan.
 
The splits were rather uneven, as Martinson made a late break for the win. But Lowell averaged under 5 minute mile pace - speed that bodes well for his next venture at the full 26.2 - taking place right where his PDR and Parkway performances were run - Philadelphia! Where else?
 
The Parkway Run 5k
Lowell Ladd, 4th Place, 15:27
 

19 September 2004
Philadelphia, PA
 
PRs GALORE FOR PTC AT PDR!!!
When you look at the PRs for PTC team members, you have to keep an eraser handy. That's because their marks are constantly improving. The numbers speak for themselves. Take a look:
 
Men's Team
Bart Borghuis: Old PR - 1:19.03, PDR 2004 - 1:13.08 (5:55 improvement)
Edward Callinan: Old PR - 1:06.41, PDR 2004 - 1:06.39 (2 second improvement)
Timothy Callinan: Old PR - 1:10.00, PDR 2004 - 1:09.53 (7 second improvement)
Steve Gourley: Old PR - 1:10.45, PDR 2004 - 1:07.28 (3:17 improvement)
Chip Hazewski: No Mark, PDR 2004 - 1:11.59
Rob Hewitt: No Mark, PDR 2004 - 1:14:07
 
Women's Team
Emily Kroshus: No Mark, PDR 2004 - 1:15.55
Deirdre Garrity: No Mark, PDR 2004 - 1:41.37
Danielle Mohney: No Mark, PDR 2004 - 1:48.57
 
PTC sat some of its veterans from men's squad, and the youth movement stepped up. Leading the way was most assuredly Steve Gourley. Steve had his ups and downs with the team in his first seasons last year, but since Broad Street, Steve has shown his ability. Steve's summer performances and great workouts brought him to his huge 3 minute plus improvement from an already credible PR.
 
Tim and Walker worked together throughout the race and didn't let up - all the way to the line. They traded places in the last 800 meters, proving that you have to race every step of the way. Chip Hazewski ran a fantastic 10 mile PR at Sea Isle City. Yet Chip is so aggressive, that he went through the 10 mile mark on Sunday a few ticks up from that August performance - and Chip still had three miles to go! Speaking of Sea Isle, Rob Hewitt ran a very strong race - producing a performance consistent with HIS 10 mile split from Sea Isle.
 
On the women's side, what can we say. Despite having to attend a wedding in Boston on Saturday, we knew Emily was going to come up huge. Emily came out with a stellar first half marathon effort - missing the overall prize money by one place! Emily can definitely run faster. Her placing speaks volumes about her ability, and more importantly, her potential.
 
Running their first half marathon efforts as well, Deirdre and Danielle ran solid races. While Danielle has run 10 miles and a marathon, Deirdre has not raced this far. Now ALL our women have their feet wet at the longer distances. Megan did not have the performance she was looking for, but as you know by now, athletes from the PTC don't harp on one race. We have been around for four years now, and we just keep training, working hard, and racing from the heart.
 
It is clear when you consider that we sat many runners with great ability at this distance - namely Matty, Bill, Bryan, Lowell, Jay, Tom Haxton, and Paul Anderson among others - that PTC is deep. The men's and women's teams did a fantastic job and we couldn't be prouder. Congratulations to everyone. And as always, the team thanks all its friends, family, and fans that help make our performances possible.
 
NEXT UP - BATTLE ROYALE II!!!!
 
This is the one you have been waiting for! Make sure you're there. It's at Haverford College on October 3rd. And you can support the PTC at the Battle Royale by picking up a PTC t-shirt in Fall colors! Making sure to attribute the quote to Vince McMahon (we're poor and can't afford a lawsuit) ... LET'S GET READY TO RUMBLE!
 
Jefferson Hospital Philadelphia Distance Run 2004
Men's Team
Edward Callinan, 18th Place, 1:06.39 *PR*
Steve Gourley, 24th Place, 1:07.28 *PR*
Mike Walker, 39th Place, 1:09.52
Timothy Callinan, 40th Place, 1:09.53 *PR*
Chip Hazewski, 53rd Place, 1:11.59 *PR*
Bart Borghuis, 61st Place, 1:13.08 *PR*
Rob Hewitt, 76th Place, 1:14.07 *PR*
 
Women's Team
Emily Kroshus, 8th Place, 1:15.55 *PR*
Megan Gallagher, 55th Place, 1:28.13
Deirdre Garrity, 297th Place, 1:41.37 *PR*
Danielle Mohney, 654th Place, 1:48.57 *PR*
 
More Information:
www.doitsports.com

11 September 2004
Philadelphia, PA
 
BYRNE PLACES 2ND AT BELMONT PLATEAU
 
Matt Byrne raced at historic Belmont Plateau on this date in a race sponsored by the Bryn Mawr Running Company. As always, Bryn Mawr provided prize money to show their support of running in this area. And when you have great support, great runners will show up.
 
As the host, Bryn Mawr showcased a talented and deep squad. At the gun, a lead pack of four runners formed - three Bryn Mawr runners. But Matty placed himself right in the lead pack with Mike McKeeman, Steve Walsh, and four time Olympic Trials qualifier Terrence Mahon.
 
The lead group posted a 4:47 first mile and then started the climb up Parachute Hill. McKeeman decided to make his move, surging up the hill and taking the outright lead. Matt gave chase, as Mahon and Walsh maintained third and fourth positions just a few strides back. The men came back off Parachute racing as hard as they could. The excitement of the chase was underscored by the lack in position changes. Every runner pushed hard.
 
McKeeman's strong move 1/3 of the way through the race proved to be enough. McKeeman broke the tape in 15:31. Matt maintained 2nd place to the line, running 15:38. Mahon rounded out the winner's circle, with Walsh acquiescing 4th place to fellow Bryn Mawr runner Brad Delmuto in the closing stages. As members of Bryn Mawr and PTC have been doing for several years now, they displayed some great racing action right here in Philadelphia.
 
The women's race was won by recent LaSalle graduate Sheila Klick. Klick bested a deep women's field that included former Olympic Trials 10k Champion Kate Fonshell.
 
Next up, the PTC men and women take to the roads for the Jefferson Hospital Philadelphia Distance Run.
 
Triple XXXC Threat 5k 2004
Matt Byrne, 2nd Place, 15:38
 

22 August 2004
Hanover, PA

PTC PLACES THIRD AND FIFTH AT SALLIE MAE 10K
 
Northeast Pennsylvania boasts quality road races. There is the Steamtown Marathon - often a focus for runners hoping to make the Olympic Trials. The Berwick Run for the Diamonds lists Paavo Nurmi among its alumni. The Sallie Mae 10k is no exception.
 
The 2004 edition of Sallie Mae found four men who recently competed against each other at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials going head-to-head once again. Add Bryn Mawr's Matt Wagoner, Millersville standout Mark Stallings, and former Adidas road ace Randy Haas to the mix - and Sallie Mae is off to a flying start. The women's side even featured former Olympic Trials 10k Champion Kate Fonshell!
 
The first mile of SM guides the runners through Sallie Mae's business campus heading towards the hills of nearby Sugar Notch. All the top runners were there at the 1 mile post - hitting 5:00. Despite the undulating hills, the lead pack maintained a precisely steady effort. Cut down from seven runners to five, two miles was reached in 10:00. Three miles read 15:00.
 
The men were now heading back towards Sallie Mae. Keith Dowling of Adidas pushed from the front with Mark Stallings in close pursuit. Ted and Matty worked together a few strides back. Our PTC men continued running exact splits - hitting 20 minutes at four miles. A gradual, but long 1/2 mile climb early in mile 5 aggravated the bone spur in Matt's foot and he lost contact with Ted.
 
The final mile retraces the first through the business park and positions don't change much at this point. Ted tried to track down Dowling and Stallings, but the places remained the same. Dowling first, Stallings second. Ted rounded out the winner's circle. In the last quarter mile, Wagoner passed Matt to finish fourth.
 
A tough course with an even tougher field. But our guys ran tough. And they will continue to do so all Fall long. Look for our men and women at the Jefferson Hospital Philadelphia Distance Run in late September. It's sooner than you think!
 
Sallie Mae 10k 2004
3rd Place, Edward Callinan, 31:11
5th Place, Matty Byrne, 31:27

7 August, 2004
Sea Isle City, NJ

HAZEWSKI BLAZES FIRST EVER 10 MILER!

Right on the heels of Bart's breakthrough performance for the men's team last night, Chip Hazewski keeps it going with a blistering first ever 10 miler in a race which is most assuredly not conducive to fast times.

The Sea Isle City Beach Patrol 10 Miler consists of approximately 6 miles of sand with winds coming off the Atlantic Ocean. Thus it behooves a runner to run even splits or, better still, go out conservatively and negative split. And negative split is just what Chip did - going out in 27:34 and coming back in 27:23. More importantly, his last mile was his fastest, clipping 5:14 at the end of this challenging race. In a field of 1,200 runners, Chip just missed prize money, finishing 4th overall.

"My plan was to run between 5:30 and 5:40 for the whole race - kind of a threshold just to get ready for PDR. But I felt real good, so I stuck with the 5:30s and didn't feel much stress," Chip remarked afterward. "The hardest part of the race for me was the transition from soft sand to hard sand and trying to get a drink of water. The wind wasn't bad, except for a few miles toward the end. Overall, I enjoyed the race and was happy. I just hope I can go faster at PDR and during cross."

Rob Hewitt ran his first race since Spring track, finishing a solid 20th place overall. Rob ran conservatively for his first race back, and it paid off. Rob clocked 58:52. Ted secured the individual title for PTC. Despite running alone from the early miles, Ted recorded his second fastest clocking ever at the race and four seconds ahead of last year's winning time from Moroccan Elarbi Khattabi. "It would be better to have someone help you push the pace," Ted noted. "But running alone gave me the chance to practice pushing myself." 

Sea Isle City Beach Patrol 10 Miler
1st Place, Edward Callinan, 52:35
4th Place, Chip Hazewski, 54:58 *PR*
20th Place, Rob Hewitt, 58:52 *PR*

More Information:
www.lmsports.com

6 August, 2004
Bryn Mawr, PA

KROSHUS OUTKICKS ETHIOPIAN FOR 5K WIN; BORGHUIS PR'S BY ALMOST 1 MINUTE!

This weekend in Philadelphia has been absolutely perfect. Clear skies and cool temperatures. Even the Web site for Bryn Mawr's Shut Up & Run and Nike Zoom Mile had a trailer on the page which stated that the "temperature was perfect." For racing, the site also mentioned the one hindrance. The trailer went on to mention that a "stiff wind from the West kept the times from being too quick, especially in the mile races."

The men's mile was won by Welsh runner James Thie. Thie finished in 4:05, beating local miler and recent Villanova grad Tom Parlapiano to the line. Parlapiano had a strong Spring and Summer, as he focused on the U.S. Olympic Trials in the 1500m. PTC's Marc Cianfrani represented the team in this race, placing 14th overall in a time of 4:25. Though this event is usually a good one for Marc, he is keeping his mileage higher, hoping the help out the team through the cross country season.

Emily finished third overall in the women's edition of the race, clocking 4:56.10. As it is the first road mile for the women's team ever, Emily set her second club record in a week!

When the Shut Up & Run 5k started, Emily had decided to double back and just put in a run. But her competitive instincts took over. Emily battled for the lead throughout the two loop race, and wound up outkicking Ethiopia's Atalelech Ketema by 3 seconds! Emily scored her second club record of the evening and her third in a week's time - scorching the roads with a 16:19.33! Awesome!

On the men's side of the 5k, Bill Frawley returned to action, finishing fourth overall. Bill stayed ahead of Bryn Mawr's Steve Walsh by two seconds to run 15:16.64. The times were pretty good considering there was a steep hill to clim on each of the loops.

But if there was yet another performance to speak of on this evening, it was surely that of Bart Borghuis. Talk about competitive instincts. Bart is still relatively new to the sport, but he is a quick learner. Bart chopped almost one full minute off his 5k PR - running 15:39 on this tough course! Bart has continued a trend this Spring and Summer which highlights new names showing up on the men's PTC leader board. Tomorrow evening, Ted and Chip will be running down on the Jersey shore at the Sea Isle City Beach Patrol 10 Miler.

Nike Zoom Mile
Men's Race
14th Place, Marc Cianfrani, 4:25.00      

Women's Race
3rd Place, Emily Kroshus, 4:56.10 *CR*

Shut Up & Run 5k
Men's Race
4th Place, Bill Frawley, 15:16.46   
10th Place, Bart Borghuis, 15:39 *PR*

Women's Race
1st Place, Emily Kroshus, 16:19.33 *CR*

30 July 2004
University of Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Canada

KROSHUS RUNS DEBUT RACE FOR PTC IN CANADA

Emily Kroshus has come to Philadelphia and PTC from Calgary. But her first race for the team found her lacing up the spikes back in Canada. Emily is focused on her Fall marathon, but returned to her native soil to take place in the national Under 23 Championships.

Almost two full months removed from the end of her last collegiate season, Emily managed to run a tough race, finishing 2nd in the women's 5,000m. Emily's time of 16:54 establishes her first club record. Emily will race the same distance next week at Bryn Mawr's Shut Up & Run 5k. Emily will double that night, running the prize money Nike Zoom Mile. We'll keep you posted.

NACAC Under 23 Athletics Championships
Women's 5,000m
2nd Place, Emily Kroshius, 16:54.53 *CR*

24 July 2004
Pennsauken, NJ & Davenport, Iowa
 
CIANFRANI WINS LOCAL ROAD RACE; GOURLEY COMES UP BIG AT NATIONAL ROAD RACE
 
Two PTC runners took the opportunity of catching up with friends at a road race. But it also gave our guys a chance to show their mid-summer fitness.
 
Marc Cianfrani stayed local with his friends from home, taking part in a memorial 4 miler on the Cooper River in South Jersey. The race was a solo effort, but Marc used the opportunity to practice pushing himself and running a solid pace. Marc kept all his miles between 5:06 and 5:14 to cruise to a 2 minute victory. Marc knew it was more of a workout day, but noted that he "felt good the whole way."
 
Steve Gourley also ran a race with friends. But Steve's race wasn't nearly as close nor nearly as intimate. Steve traveled to Davenport, Iowa to take part in the Quad-City Times Bix 7 Miler. This race is a big event on the national Summer road racing circuit. For the 2004 edition, Bix boasted over 20,000 entrants! And how did Steve fare in this sea of runners with tons of international talent up front? 28th place overall.
 
Steve ran a great race, showing his performances at Broad Street and Belmar are only harbingers of things to come. The elite field was deep, with plenty of Kenyans and Americans such as Nike's Ryan Shay (who traveled to Philadelphia and finished 2nd in the Rothman Institute 8k last year). Steve hit the 10k mark in 32:36 and pushed hard to the line, completing the full seven miles in 36:18. That's a great showing in a world class field.
 
And there is STILL some road racing to come! On August 6th, Bill will run Bryn Mawr Running Co.'s Shut Up & Run 5k, and Marc will run the Nike Zoom Mile. Down the shore the very next day, Rob, Chip, Emily, and Ted will be racing the Sea Isle City 10 Miler.
 
Check back on the RACE REPORTS page to see how our guys and girls ran. And with a great focus on the Fall and Cross Country, be sure to see the new faces on the BIOS page and see how our runners are stating new goals for themselves.
 
Bill Kile's Memorial 4 Mile Run
1st Place, Marc Cianfrani, 20:47
 
Quad-City Times Bix 7 Miler
28th Place, Steve Gourley, 36:18

13 July, 2004
Belmar, NJ
 
PTC SWEEPS TEAM TITLES ON THE JERSEY SHORE
 
Firsts all around. First Summertime team outing for our four year old men's group. First ever outing for our full women's team. And both teams finished .. you guessed it ... first!
 
Though it is certainly not racing season, PTC thought it would be good to stretch out the legs in a local quality road race. Enter the Belmar 5 Miler. Located right on the central Jersey shore, Belmar boasts over 2,000 participants. And the quality was certainly there up front.
 
The PTC girl's team was led by Veena Reddy. Racing well short of her usual distance, Veena took advantage of the opportunity to work on speed. She finished 8th overall in a time of 29:48. Elizabeth and Deirdre kept the solid performances going, running 33:52 and 38:04 respectively. The race was a good sign for Deirdre in particular, as this was one of her first races in the last several years. Danielle rounded out the women's scoring - despite jetlag from her Arizona flight. Like Veena and Elizabeth, Danielle has her eyes on the marathon, where she hopes to run some fast times. So working on the shorter distances to help her speed and turnover will definitely pay big dividends.
 
The men's victory was secured, in large part, by Tim and Steve. The duo picked up right where they left off at Broad Street. Steve was the second PTC finisher behind Matty to take 5th place overall. Steve placed himself far up in the race early and stayed there. Employing a different tactic, Tim came on strong late to run a 5 mile PR and be 3rd man for PTC. Ted finished right in step with Tim and locked the men's title.
 
Proving the growth of the team and its new depth on the men's side, Team B showed their strength in placing finishers high enough to score third place in the team scoring (this has not been reflected in the Web site results; however, analysis of both the places and times indicates as much). As Tim PR's on the A Team, Bart did the same on the B Team. Bryan Poerner showed promise in gutting out a strong race considering his recent injuries and lack of running in the last several months. ALL our guys and girls gave it their all - that's all we ever look for.
 
On the race and performances as a whole, Tim said he thought "It was good to have the whole team there to have fun. It was nice to see people put forth solid efforts this early in their training phase. The mood was very positive immediately after the race and on the Sunday long run. I truly believe everyone is on the same page and looking forward to a successful Fall." We think you're right, Tim!
 
Belmar 5 Miler
WOMEN'S TEAM A
8th Place, Veena Reddy, 29:48.7 *PR*
32nd Place, Elizabeth Seeley, 33:52.1 *PR*
99th Place, Deirdre Garrity, 38:04.3 *PR*
186th Place, Danielle Mohney, 40:51.6 *PR*
 
MEN'S TEAM A
4th Place, Matt Byrne, 25:06.2
5th Place, Steve Gourley, 25:15
10th Place, Tim Callinan, 25:38.2 *PR*
11th Place, Ted Callinan, 25:38.6
14th Place, Marc Cianfrani, 25:57.2
 
MEN'S TEAM B
15th Place, Bryan Poerner, 26:05.4
18th Place, Mike Walker, 26:13.1
23rd Place, Chip Hazewski, 26:33.7
30th Place, Brian Gallagher, 27:12.4
35th, Bart Borghuis, 27:17.5 *PR*
56th Place, Jason Capelli, 28:39.6
 
More Information:
www.jsrc.org

27 & 18 June 2004
Boston, MA; Media, PA

BYRNE CRUISES TO VICTORY IN BOSTON SEVEN MILER
CHIP HAZEWSKI AND DANIELLE MOHNEY MAKE PTC DEBUT
 
Matt Byrne has continued to run solid workouts all Spring and Summer. He will be taking a short break soon after a long year, but he wanted to finish out the season with some strong road performances.
 
Matt didn't see many serious road races in the area for late June, so he traveled up to Boston looking for competition in a relatively new road race that produced some fast finishes last year. Though the field was not deep for the New Charles River Run 7 Miler, the potential for a good matchup was there in the latter stages of the race between Matty and former Providence Friar Chris McTeague (British national). McTeague was part of the Providence distance powerhouse in the mid-90s that boasted fellow British national Andy Keith (who incidentally helped pull Brian to his indoor sub-4 at Valentine's) and the indefatigable Corkman Mark Carroll (whose PRs include a 5k just over the 13 minute mark).
 
McTeague, now running for Saucony, didn't go with Matt's early push to keep the pace honest. Matt ran miles all between 5:09 and 5:15. He was essentially alone by the 2 mile mark and had to push ahead to get an honest effort. By the time the race had concluded, Matt was 57 seconds clear of McTeague. "I was hoping to have a tough, hard race. But it turned out more like a workout," Matt summarized. Our man averaged 5:12 miles to finish in 36:23.
 
Matt could find a more challenging race up front very soon. He will be part of the PTC A Team at the Belmar 5 Miler on 10 July. We'll see if Matty can finish out the season with a flourish. See how all our guys and girls do on the roads in mid-July.
 
On the evening ofJune 18th, Chip Hazewski and Danielle Mohney made their PTC debuts at the 25th Annual Media Five Miler. Joined by Tim Callinan, the trio turned in some respectable results on the hot and hilly course that twice circles the small town in Delaware County.
 
Looking to defend his title from last year, Tim struggled in the heat passing the halfway mark in 13:02, sixteen seconds behind eventual winner Matt Wagoner. Chip was five spots back in seventh at 13:28. After getting a poor start, Danielle was moving up steadily and was 18:47 at the half.
 
The second lap proved more difficult for the runners, as all three positive split the second half. Tim finished fourth in 26:55. Chip placed ninth in his PTC debut with a time of 28:01. Slowing by only thirteen seconds over the second half, Danielle finished with a respectable 37:47.
 
“It felt good to start racing again,” said Chip. “I am looking forward to training with the team, and watching my PR’s drop.” We welcome Chip and Danielle to the team, and look forward to seeing how they progress in their rookie campaigns. Make sure you check back often to see how their progress is going.
 
 
New Charles River Run 7 Miler
Matty Byrne, 1st Place, 36:23
 
Media 5-Miler
Tim Callinan, 4th Place, 26:55
Chip Hazewski, 9th Place, 28:01
Danielle Mohney, 37:47

30 May 2004
Ottawa, Canada

STELLAR DEBUT FOR VEENA AND ELIZABETH

While most in the Philadelphia area headed southeast over Memorial Day weekend, the two new kids on the block were off to a different direction.  PTC newcomers Veena Reddy and Elizabeth Seeley traveled up to Canada to take part in the Ottawa Marathon. 

Elizabeth, however, was the only one who planned to run. In the week leading up to the marathon, Veena had begun to experience severe pain in her foot. Suspecting that it was a stress fracture, she was told to stay off it for one or two weeks. Despite her disappointment in not being able to race, Veena made the trip to Ottawa to cheer on her fellow teammate.

Sunday arrived, and the excitement was intense. She must have been caught up in the race atmosphere because the next thing she knew Veena was lacing up her shoes and stepping to the line.  What was to come?  A broken foot?  Hitchhiking back to the hotel?

Nope. Veena took home a new PR of 2:49:09 and finished 6th woman overall. Not far behind, Elizabeth finished 8th woman overall with a time of 2:55.39, and both took home a nice chunk of change. What a great race!

We expect big things from these two fresh team members and from the rest of our new recruits.  We'll introduce you to all of them over the next few weeks, so keep checking back.

ING Ottawa Marathon
Veena Reddy, 41st place, 2:49.09
Elizabeth Seely, 67th place, 2:55.39

23 May 2004
Philadelphia, PA

BART BORGHUIS WINS FIRST TITLE AS PTC MEMBER;
PTC JUNIOR TEAM MEMBER FAMOUS

It has only been maybe six months since Bart has started training with PTC. He came into it not knowing much at all about running.  The first few workouts were filled with questions about shoes and training.  Even good running books to read.  Now our well dressed friend from the north of Europe is making some big strides.  Last Sunday, Bart took home his first win, as a PTC member, and in his life.  Bart won the 18th annual Philadelphia Vietnam Veterans Memorial 10k.  While he was not ecstatic with his time due to the excessive heat and humidity, Bart still walked away with the first place honors.  Cheers!

In other racing news, Thi's young cousin, Carrie Vuong, got her first taste of press as her picture anchoring Cherry Hill's Rosa International Middle School girls 1600-meter relay team made the Cherry Hill Trend.  We are still waiting for her to bump up to the 800 so she can do some real damage, but for now we are quite proud. 

2 May 2004
Philadelphia, PA
 
STEVE GOURLEY & TIM CALLINAN STEP UP FOR PTC
 
The Spring has been tough. Poerner and Benjamin out with Achilles problems. Ted still struggling with a bad hamstring. We have confidence in our group of dedicated, talented guys. But when you're having such trouble, a team's depth comes in to play. Guys need to step up and help fill the void. Teammates have to decide that this team isn't going to let injuries stop it from building. At the Blue Cross Broad Street Run, Tim and Steve did just that.
 
In his first 10 mile road race, Steve posted a super time of 52:51 on a humid and windy day. That time placed him 11th overall in a field of 12,000 runners. Steve finished a mere six seconds astride of Tim - who eclipsed 2:10 seconds from his 10 mile PR! These guys came through big-time.
 
Though the team finished second in the three-deep team scoring, PTC showed positive results. The team placed runners at 8,9,10, and 11. Matty led the team results with a 52:19 - pulling away from Ted in the final mile. Ted continues to struggle with his injury, but managed to finish 10 seconds behind Matty.
 
In his PTC debut (just after racing the BAA Boston Marathon), Lowell Ladd looked solid with a 21st place effort - 54:15. Bart provided the third PR of the day - cutting 14 seconds off his previous 10 mile best! Jay Capelli - like all tough competitors - expects alot from himself and was not happy with his 61:47. Afterwards, Jay was determined to eliminate this performance with better ones in the near future.
 
The race conditions were overcast and the runners had to struggle with staying loose after a 15 minute delay due to a fire further down Broad Street. When the gun was fired, the air was very humid and the winds had picked up significantly. Many runners spoke of the winds afterwards and the front packs looked more like assembly lines at points in the race where buildings provided no wind buffer.
 
Of their big team effort, Tim exaplained that he and Steve "kept pushing each other after city hall. One time I {Tim} took the lead and said 'come on.' Another time Steve took the lead and said the same thing. It was great." PTC is proud to see yet three more PRs posted today. And the team is positive know that, when all the horses are healthy, you will see one strong, more importantly DEEP, team.

Blue Cross Broad Street Run 2004
Team A
Matty Byrne, 8th Place, 52:19
Edward Callinan, 9th Place, 52:29
Timothy Callinan, 10th Place, 52:45
Steve Gourley, 11th Place, 52:51
Bill Frawley, 26th Place, 54:59
 
Team B
Lowell Ladd, 21st Place, 54:15
Bart Borghuis, 53rd Place, 58:15
Rob Hewitt, 93rd Place, 60:35
Jay Capelli, 118th Place, 61:47
Chris Walsh, 289th Place, 65:53

22 & 24 April 2004
Philadelphia, PA
 
PTC RACES ON HOME TRACK AT PENN RELAYS
 
Late April in Philadelphia means the Penn Relays. And Thursday night at the Penn Relays means Distance Night. So our guys were able to race on their home track in the oldest continuous sporting event in the world.
 
Competing in the last event of the evening, Bill, Ted, and Matty took to the track for the Olympic Development 10k. The OD entrants for the 10k are now grouped with the seeded section of the college 10k - so the starting line was jam packed. Despite a waterfall start, the line was three runners deep - eight lanes accross.
 
At the crack of the gun, people looked to establish position and not get stuck behind a slow group. All three of our guys seemed to get off to intelligent starts - not hammering at the front nor lagging towards the back. The PTC trio worked their way through small packs in the early laps. Matty had the fastest splits from mile one - hitting the first mile in 4:47 and mile two in 9:24. Bill was not far behind - running on a clip that equated to about 30 minutes.
 
At the halfway mark, Matt's time was 14:55. Bill was still just a short distance behind, with Ted making his way up to Bill. But as quickly as Ted made his way close to Bill's group, he dropped back again. Ted's hamstring continued to give him problems - as it has so far this track season - and he stopped racing a little after the four mile mark. Matt and Bill pressed on. Matt's pace lagged a little in the 4th and 5th miles, but he was able to regain composure and finish a strong 30:09.21 for fourth place.
 
Matt conceded that it is hard to get through the mental part of the latter miles. "I felt like I felll asleep during miles 4 and 5. But that's what happens in the long track races," Matt noted. "Running my first 10k on the track in seven years, coming back slowly from the Olympic Trials, and not having a heck of a lot of workouts in me, I'll take it." Bill was the very next finisher, just a few ticks back in 30:12.28.
 
On Saturday afternoon, Brian got the opportunity to run in front of a packed house. Saturday's attendance exceeded 44,000 fans. Despite the quality of the field, however, the pace lagged, as all the milers bided their time through the first quarter keeping their eye on 1500m Olympic hopeful Alan Webb of Nike. The runner charged with the early pace work passed the quarter post in 61 - already signaling a tactical race. Brian stayed relaxed through the 800m mark, but was boxed in between 800 and 1000m.
 
The tension built, as the runners looked to see who could produce a fast last quarter after a slow start. And as the other runners feared, Webb used the opportunity to sit and kick perfectly to give him the win. No one matched Webb's 56 second last quarter. Brian kicked with the rest of the pack and looked to finish as high as he could. But the tactics of the race prevented any chances he had of a fast time. Pointing towards the 5000m next week at Stanford, Brian had modest and definitely attainable goals for Penn. "I think I am in 4:03, 4:04 shape right now," Brian remarked a few days before Penn. We think Brian is right. He will just have to wait for the next mile and find a field looking for fast times.
 
But Brian wasn't the only guy to run on Saturday. Mike Walker and Jay Capelli laced up their racing shoes about 1.5 hours away from Franklin Field for the Lion Invitational hosted by The College of New Jersey. In his third race of the season, Mike finished 5th overall out of 38 runners in a time of 15:34.99. Jay competed in the same event as Walker, running 16:22.11. Nice running to all the guys racing this weekend.
 
Next up: The Broad Street 10 Mile Run. Take in the great early May weather by getting out to Broad Street on Sunday morning - May 2nd. And yes, as always, don't forget to wear your PTC shirt while cheering on our runners. See you soon!
 
Penn Relays 2004
Men's Olympic Development 10,000m
Matt Byrne, 4th Place, 30:09.41
Bill Frawley, 5th Place, 30:12.28
 
Men's Olympic Development Mile
Brian Gallagher, 10th Place, 4:08.48
 
Lion Invitational 2004
Men's 5000m
Mike Walker, 5th Place, 15:34.99
Jay Capelli, 20th, 16:22.11

6 April 2004
Chester, PA

TIM STRUGGLES TO FIND RHYTHM; PTC MEMBERS PREPARE FOR PENN RELAYS

Looking to race before the Broad Street Run in two weeks, Tim returned to his alma mater, Widener University, to race the 5k on Friday night.  Though the result was far off from the time he was looking for, he still found some positives.

Wasting energy by shifting around in the front pack for most of the race, Tim was inconsistent in his pacing.  After leading late in the race he was unable to produce much of a kick and finished sixth in 15:07.2.  This was his third fastest 5k, the second coming several weeks ago in Raleigh.

While Tim was at Widener, several of our boys were doing one last tune-up workout in preparation for this coming weekend’s Penn Relays, the annual right of spring that is one of the largest track and field meets in the world.

Hosted annually by the University of Pennsylvania for the last 109 years, this year’s edition will see four of our guys toeing the line against some of the country’s, and world’s, best athletes.

Bill, Ted, and Matty will start things off on Thursday night in event number 90, the Olympic Development 10k (this run is in conjunction with event number 89, the College Men’s 10k).  Previous winners of this race include Pat Porter, Eammon Coghlan, and John Treacy.

In 1895, the relays first year, 5,000 people attended the meet. This year as many as ten times that number will watch Brian in the Olympic Development Mile Run. Slated to go off at 3:55 on Saturday, Brian will be racing against the likes of Steve Slattery, 2003 USATF steeplechase champion, and 2002 winner Garth Tunrbull of Ireland.

Best of luck to our boys this weekend, and we hope to see you there.
 
Widener Invitational 2004
Men’s 5,000
Tim Callinan, 6th place, 15:07.2

2, 3 April 2004
Princeton, NJ; Pomona, NJ

The Philadelphia Track Club wasted no time getting back to racing, as several members toed the line at the Sam Howell Invite at Princeton University, and the Osprey Open at Stockton State College.

Kicking things off for the team were Bill, Ted, Tim, and Steve in Friday night’s 10k at Princeton.  Though their times were not what the boys were looking for, they still ran tough.  After a slow first 800, Bill and Ted quickened the pace as they took control of the lead pack.  Following the break, Tim and Steve found themselves in good positioning, heading up the chase pack.

Bill and Ted shared the pacing duties for a while with a little help from LaSalle redshirts, Sean Quigley and Dan McGrath, before Ted slipped off the pace. While Steve hung onto the chase pack, Tim assumed solid control with 10 laps to go.

In only his second race since last fall, Bill did not have the finishing speed he would like, but still pulled off fourth place in 30:10, three ticks off the winner, Quigley. Still trying to find the rhythm that comes with several track races, Ted finished sixth, clocking in at 30:40.  Though it was not the PR he was looking for, Tim still managed to shave seven seconds from his personal best to finish in 31:20. Rebounding nicely from a disappointing race last weekend, Steve passed the 5k mark faster than he ran last weekend and closed with a time of 31:59.

In Saturday’s 1500, Brian founded himself pitted against Bryn Mawr Running Company’s Steve Walsh for the second week in a row. Unfortunately Brian was unable to turn the tables on Walsh, running 3:54.21 to Walsh’s winning time of 3:52.07.

Meanwhile at Stockton College, Mike showed his continued improvement at the Osprey Open. Competing the 5000m, he had even splits of 75 to win the race in 15:45. "I am happy with the progress I am making in my training," Mike said enthusiastically after his triumph. It's been a bumpy road back for Mike, but his results are starting to show what comes with being patience during an injury.

Despite the early spring cold, our guys still performed well and are looking forward to keeping the improvements up through the spring.

Sam Howell Memorial 2004
Men’s 10,000m
Bill Frawley, 4th Place, 30:10.36
Ted Callinan, 6th Place, 30:40.12
Tim Callinan, 10th Place, 31:20.31 *PR*
Steve Gourley, 16th Place, 31:59.21

Men’s 1500m
Brian Gallagher, 2nd Place, 3:54.21

Osprey Open 2004
Men's 5000m
Mike Walker, 1st Place, 15:45

26,27 March 2004
Raleigh, NC; Louisville, KY; New York City, NY

PTC FACES TOUGH CHALLENGES IN SEASON OPENING RACES

Rob Hewitt started off this weekend's racing for PTC in the morning heats of the 5k at the Adidas Raleigh Relays. The gun went off close to noon and the mercury had already risen to 78 with clear skies and the sun beating down. Those running in the morning sections went out at conservative paces. Rob placed himself competitively in his section, going through the mile in a shade over 5 minutes. But the heat took its toll and Rob's subsequent splits slowed. He had to settle for a time well below his goal. But Rob is optimistic. He knows better races are in his future.

Friday evening, Tim and Steve competed in the second section of the men's 5k. Tim was happy with his initial pace, placing himself in the front pack. But some jostling in the early laps pressed Tim into running an extremely fast 200m within the first mile. That short, yet extremely fast surge assured that Tim would be fighting lactic acid in the latter laps of the race. Steve started towards the back of the second seeded section, but hung tough. Despite the tough outing for these two guys, Tim was still able to post his second fastest 5k ever. The rocky road which began this first day of outdoor track for our guys culminated in Ted's run in the seeded section of the same distance. Having run on the track - indoors or out - only twice in the last two years, Ted had a tough time shaking the marathon training for the intense pace and positioning on the track. Despite his fitness, Ted also placed himself in danger, surging to get around a slowing second pack, to run a 65.5 third lap. Such pacing in his first outing sealed Ted's fate, and he pulled the plug at two miles.

Saturday morning found the team rejuvenated - and the results showed! In Louisville, Jay battled high temperatures and a tough course to eke out a new 10k PR by one second! Jay had high expectations for this race - namely running under 33 minutes. But a PR in the heat is a PR nonetheless.

Back at the Raleigh Relays, our guys on the track found better fortunes - if still a slightly mixed bag. Brian and Marc prepared themselves for a hot 1500m field. But at the start, the hype of the seeded 1500m wasn't living up to expectations and the pace slogged. Brian was determined to not let the race lag too long and found himself doing the pacework by the time the field reached the 400m mark. Marc laid off the early pace, confident in his fitness and his 800m speed. Brian continued to lead through 800 and 1000m, putting his head down at the 1200m post, determined to hold off his pursuers. The mixed bag came in the form of Marc's DNF. When the men had come around the track wth a lap to go, Marc wasn't to be found, being clipped by another runner on the second curb and falling to the track. The front pack kicked furiously. Brian ran tough to the line, but succumbed to a few runners who sat and kicked off his pacework. Despite that, Brian showed PTC's fortunes were slowly changing, as he ran a 3:51 first Spring effort in a race in which he did all of the work alone!

Closer to home, Matty knew he would have a tough time in his first Spring outing, joining Ted in trying to shake the marathon training. Matty took to the streets of Central Park to compete in the U.S. Men's 8k Championships. Matt ran intelligently, not looking to accomplish too much in his first race. He passed the 5k mark in 15:13. Certainly not a PR, Matt was still pleased with his first effort of the Spring. "For the fitness level I'm at, I beat the people I should beat and lost to the people who are more fit. But it was a good starting point" Matty concluded.

We always give you the straight news. All in all, we've had better weekends as a team. But there were some bright spots the races - and ALL of these guys are fit. Not every race is going to be the best race in the world. It's the way our guys respond to the tough outings that will define us. And no one knows us better than you. You know we work hard. And you know we'll make it right soon enough.

The guys are chomping at the bit to race again. Tim, Steve, Ted, and Bill will all be racing the men's 10k at the Sam Howell Memorial at Princeton on Friday night. And Brian will run the 1500m on Saturday morning. We know the guys will get right back on...track.

Adidas Raleigh Relays 2004
Men's 5000m
Timothy Callinan, 20th Place - Section II, 15:05.17
Steven Gourley,35th Place - Section II, 15:48.89
Rob Hewitt, 27th Place - Section III, 16:46.52

Men's 1500m
Brian Gallagher, 6th Place - Section I, 3:51.11

Rodes City Run 10k 2004
Jay Benjamin, 14th Place, 33:18

U.S. Men's 8k Championships 2004
Matt Byrne, 24:18

20 March 2004
Haddonfield, NJ

Bart Borghuis has not been running long, but he has made big strides. Having run only one 5k before on the track in 17:13, Bart is merely the latest PTC testament to group training. Bart bettered that mark - set on a track no less - by 42 seconds on a road course with a few hills!

Bart and PTC member Rob Hewitt took part in the 23rd annual Bancroft Neurohealth 5k - a race which has boasted the participation of names such as former 10k Olympian Todd Williams and the second fastest US Steepler ever Mark Croghan. This year, the big name was 2003 US 5k Champion Tim Broe. Unfortunately, Broe is still recovering from a broken foot and did not run all out to take a crack at Terrence Mahon's solid course record of 14:19. With sunny skies and cool temperatures, Bart and Rob made the slight climb up Kings Highway to the mile mark in approximately 5:15.

The course turns left into a residential area called Tavistock - which has some of the better hills one can run in South Jersey. The course does not run the biggest hills in the area, but the runners DO have to negotiate a second climb. Rob paced the two PTC runners through 2 miles in 10:40. The two mile mark sits right beside the High Speed Line and when the runners turn right back onto Kings Highway, there is between 1000 and 1200 meters to the finish line. At the front of the race, Bryn Mawr's Ross Martinson ran intelligently staying off the early lead pace and chasing Haddonfield's Sean Mick at the 2 mile mark. Martinson would push the pace in the last mile to overtake Mick and win the race. Bart pushed his pace as well, running a well deserved huge PR! You think Bart would be talking about his race immediately after he finished, but his first comment was "These Puma flats are great!" No lie, folks. No cheesy advertising - that's really what he said. Rob wanted to use the race to knock the rust off and be prepared to run the 5k at Raleigh on the 26th. "I'm glad I ran this race," Rob said. "I knew I needed to push myself and get a good effort in so I'm ready for the fast pace at Raleigh." Good luck, Rob.

Rob will be joined in the 5k by teammates Steve Gourley and Tim and Ted Callinan. Marc and Brian Gallagher will be running the 1500m. Of course we'll give you all the results and details as soon as we can!

Bancroft Neurohealth 5k 2004
Bart Borghuis, 18th Place, 16:31
Rob Hewitt, 22nd Place, 16:40

7 & 13 March 2004
Philadelphia, PA

March is a full month on the running calendar. Indoor national championships are staged at the high school, collegiate, and professional levels. Late in the month, athletes brave the elements for season-opening outdoor track meets. And scattered through the month, road races fill the calendar to provide runners a chance to stay race sharp.

On 7 March, PTC neophytes Chad Tibbets and Ken Bigos took part in the Northeast Roadrunners' Winter 10k right on Kelly Drive. The race gave our new teammates a chance to get a feel for hometown racing. Both guys ran tough. Ken cracked into the winner's circle - running 34:58. Chad finished just a few places back in 7th place.

The following Saturday, yet another new PTC runner - Phil Ranly - lined up at a St. Patty's Day race in Chestnut Hill alongside PTC's Tim Callinan. Tim battled the peaks and valleys of Chestnut Hill stride for stride with multiple DIII National Champion J.B. Haglund.  J.B. was able to outrun Tim only in the last 200m of the race. Tim finished a few seconds outside the overall win - with a time of 16:01. Phil showed the team he is ready to push himself to achieve his goals. In his first race as a PTC member, Phil finished 4th overall. That's a high bar Phil is setting for himself, but we like that.

Fighting Irish 5k 2004
Timothy Callinan, 16:01, 2nd Place
Philip Ranly, 17:06, 4th Place

Northeast Roadrunners Winter 10k 2004
Ken Bigos, 34:58, 3rd Place
Chad Tibbets, 36:13, 7th Place

27 & 28 February 2004
New York, NY & Farmingdale, NJ

PTC FINDS PRs GALORE AT FASTTRACK INVITATIONAL;
CAPELLI CLAIMS FIRST PTC VICTORY

Almost a sweep! Four guys running - three new PRs! Bill Frawley's 5k time was a PR by 9 seconds! And Brian Gallagher showed his speed in winning an exciting 3k that came down to the wire with our cross town rivals.

The NYU Fastrack Invitational was receiving some attention - as the 5k was set to be a fast one with Richard Kiplagat of Iona College and Kenya was looking for a time under 14 minutes. Once good runners hear about a race going quick, the people line up to enter. Bill's workouts and training have been right on the money, and he knew it was time to throw his chips in at this meet. Despite this meet having runners from all over the East Coast, Bill and BMRC runner Ross Martinson found their way through the early laps together in the seeded heat. They were occupying the last two spots in the field but running very intelligently. The pace took its toll on many runners during the second mile - opening the window for any person with strength remaining to pass many runners down the stretch. Bill did just that. His third mile was run in 4:28! Bill bettered his 5k PR of 14:28 which had stood since 1999! Awesome race!

In the second heat of the 5k, Bryan and Jay continued the PR parade. After the first several laps, Bryan helped force the issue - assuring that the field would not stroll through the second section of the 5k. Bryan's efforts helped the field keep an honest pace through two miles. His valiant push cost him a little bit in the latter stages, but Bryan's strength held up to bring him a new 5k PR. Bryan ran a tough, gutsy race. This effort will pay dividends later on. Jay was looking to run close to 15 minutes a time well ahead of his PR, but definitely achieveable looking at his performances from early Winter. Jay's hot streak from January seems to have cooled a bit, but he still eked out a PR. All this despite Jay's push in high mileage as he focuses down the road on Grandma's Marathon.

Finally, Brian came up with the next best thing to a PR in a race - the outright win! Never let it be said that Brian doesn't know how to race on the track (not that we thought anyone was saying that, but you know). Brian is always even, steady, controlled, and most importantly - fast! Again, despite the throngs of runners from dozens of universities and clubs, PTC and Bryn Mawr showed the merits of the club system by having their guys occupy the top three spots throughout the seeded 3k. Steve Walsh and Mike McKeeman traded the lead several times throughout the 3k. Brian's compact running form sat right in back - nestled in for the ride. With 500m to go, Brian began a long kick to the tape. The three open men kicked furiously - with Walsh inching closer and closer to Brian as they headed for the finish line. But Walsh ran out of real estate. Brian captured the win with his second fastest 3k ever. "Mentally, I'm happy with the race," Brian said. "This was my best complete mental effort since ... probably college! At Penn two years ago, I felt like I ran tough, but even then I had some lapses. Tonight, there wasn't any part of the race that I wasn't totally focused."

Adding another victory to PTC's charged weekend, Jay Capelli claimed first place at Saturday's Snowflake Series #4. He finished the 6-mile trail race held at Allaire State Park in New Jersey with a time of 34:39. Jay's training is starting to pay off, and is showing signs of a strong Spring.

How's that for a weekend of racing action?! Honestly, it's exciting just writing the news sometimes. If you've never come out to see a race live, you don't know what you're missing. Next time they toe the line, get to the race and cheer on the PTC!

Fastrack Invitational 2004
Men's 3000m
Brian Gallagher, 8:16.21, 1st Place

Men's 5000m
Bill Frawley, 14:19.11, 6th Place
Bryan Poerner, 14:51.03, 17th Place
Jay Benjamin, 15:26.18, 25th Place

Snowflake Series #4
Jay Capelli, 34:39, 1st Place

More Information:
http://www.armorytrack.com

14, 22 February 2004
Ambler & Haverford, PA

NEW PTC MEMBER WINS FIRST RACE; PTC RUNS FIRST EVER DMR

Steve Gourley joined PTC in December. Steve enjoyed a successful collegiate career at Lehigh and, based on his first race for the team, he is poised to further his development. Steve lined up with 500+ runners to climb the hills of Ambler. The contenders for the win made their way to front early.
Realizing the benefits of solid Sunday runs and tough Tuesday workouts on the track with Bill, Steve was able to pull clearly away from the field, finishing the race a full minute before his nearest competitor. Steve wanted to approach the Spring with caution, as he only returned to training this past June after his two-year mission. But the numbers don't lie. His workouts have been dead on. And the first race was strong. Looks like we're going to see Steve on the track before long.

For the guys who are already on the track, it was time to break new ground for the team. PTC provided a seldom run DMR at Haverford's Keogh Invitational. Coach Tom Donnelly was looking for teams to fill the field in hopes that his runners could lock up a qualifier for the DIII National Championships. PTC and Bryn Mawr both joined in the fun, providing teams. Brian ran a strong, smooth race, hitting 3:04 for his leg. Brian handed off to Chad, running his first track race in 12 years. In case you think you read that wrong, that's 12 YEARS!!! Chad handled his nerves well. He tied up a little late in his quarter, but Chad is still getting his strength together to go with his power and speed.

Running the leg of the day for PTC, Marc took the baton with his bouncy stride and charged after the few teams in front of him. Marc has had a super consistent Fall and Winter of training, running more mileage and building more strength than ever. It showed. On a tight, bankless track, Marc ran his first indoor meet in two years. That didn't bother him. Marc passed off to Poerner with a 1:52.0 - some guys even had 1:51 high. When Marc has his wheels going late Spring, it should be flat out exciting. Bryan had a tall order to fill, as he had to play catch up. Bryan went through the half on a blistering pace - doing his best to keep PTC in contention for the win. But the stagger was a little too much to make up. He closed out the day with 4:25. All in all, the team set an initial club record for the day, got some speed work in, and had some fun. Solid runs by Bryan and Brian, getting Chad back into track racing after a long hiatus, and seeing Marc show he is ready for outdoors were all good signs! Nice going guys.

And hats off to Bryn Mawr Running Club, aka West Philadelphia Track Club, for clenching the victory!

Frostbite 5 Miler 2004
1st Place, Steve Gourley, 26:53

Keogh Invitational 2004
Men's DMR - 10:20 Total
1200m Leg - Brian Gallagher, 3:04
400m Leg - Chad Tibbets, :57
800m Leg - Marc Cianfrani, 1:52.0
1600m Leg - Bryan Poerner, 4:25

7 & 8 February 2004
Birmingham, Alabama

TED & MATTY REPRESENT PTC IN OLYMPIC TRIALS;
TIM REPRESENTS TEAM IN MERCEDES HALF MARATHON

The sky was overcast - with the mercury reading 35 degrees. The wind gauge read 30 mph. At 9AM, the gun was fired and the contest to make the U.S. Olympic Team was under way.

The men's field had to run a small look with a slight climb and in the first mile before taking the straight 8 mile shot into downtown Birmingham. The field ran a conservative first mile, with our guys hitting the first post between 5:22 and 5:23. But that was the only mile "given" to all the runners.

Californian Pete Clusener - dubbed "Crazy Pete" - forged far ahead of the field. Every runner began to pursue their goals in earnest - with Matty and Ted averaging 5:15 per mile by the 4 mile mark. Determined not to let Clusener have the cameras exclusively to himself, Saucony's Teddy Mitchell took control of the race for a short while before acquiescing to Brian Sell of Hanson's/Brooks.

Ted and Matty were running smoothly, hitting the splits they had planned perfectly. Halfway to the town limit, the large field finally broke into two packs. The PTC representatives maintained solid positions in the "chase" pack, worked hard to stay hydrated by taking plenty of fluids, and tried to stay as comfortable as possible.

As the athletes entered Birmingham, the winds began to strengthen from their 30 mph at the start and the temperature dropped into the 20s. Matty helped keep the pace brisk for the "chase"pack during the first of the three 5.4 mile urban loops. Ted was right in tow. Both men passed the 10 mile mark under 52:40 - well on pace to run huge PRs.

Brian Sell continued to challenge pre-race favorite Alan Culpepper of Adidas and Meb Keflezighi of Nike for the outright win - building a lead over one minute better than his nearest competitor! The "chase" pack (or by this point the "second pack," as the lead pack was now strung out with the potential Olympians running ahead of it) dissolved. Some runners in the "chase" forced the issue - hoping to separate themselves from the other runners. Others began to show signs of strain.

Ted passed the halfway point a few ticks under 1:09, with Matty still running well just a few seconds back. Our guys continued to pass other qualifiers, but were now without the protection of a pack and were facing strong winds on long, straight streets head on. "I felt good late in the first loop," Ted recounted. "So good, that I planned to attack hard in the second circuit! But when I headed back out towards the south side of town, I felt a wave of tiredness. I seem to get that for about 10 minutes in every marathon. I don't know how to prevent that. I'm still learning the marathon I guess. It's frustrating."

With one 5.4 mile loop remaining, Ted and Matt pushed ahead. Matt began to feel tightness in his quadriceps. Ted shook off his fatigue and felt his effort improve slightly - despite the fact that his splits were slowly slipping.

With snowflakes in the air, Culpepper finally broke Keflezighi in the last 365 yards for a thrilling victory that brought the crowd's hands together. Proving how difficult the marathon is to master, Brian Sell fell from his one minute plus lead to finishing 13th overall in the last 6 miles. No one could fault his valiant effort.

Ted climbed the last small hill and ran to the left of the center city park. The clock read 2:22.20 when Ted hit the matt, passing several runners in the last loop, but relinquishing two places in the last mile. His finishing place, however, was 54 places ahead of his seed time and only 59 seconds off his PR from November.

Admittedly, Matt's quads prevented him from closing the last stagesof the race as he planned, but he pushed through, bettering his seed placing by over 30 places to finish 56th overall in 2:29.56.

A big "congratulations" also goes out to Bryn Mawr Running Club's Matt Sandercock who also competed in the Trials on Saturday and finished in 24th place. Well done!

***

Sunday morning provided runners of the Mercedes Marathon and Half Marathon with temperatures almost as cold as Saturday - if weaker winds. But the courses are completely contained in the downtown area and present several more climbs than Saturday's course.

From the start, Tim was determined to put himself among the leaders. This was a heady group including Saucony's Teddy Mitchell, three Kenyans, an athlete from Hansons/Brooks with three 2:22 marathons to his credit, and Malcolm Campbell of Scotland. In the first mile, Tim sat in fourth position. The runners weaved their way through town with Mitchell pulling everyone along.

During miles 4 and 5, Tim was running alone - trying to bridge the small gap between him and the runner from Hansons/Brooks. After the halfway point, the runners headed towards the south side of town - not to be seen again until the last mile of the race. The crowd was left waiting to see what unfolded between miles 7 and 12.

The lead had changed, with Kenyan Sammy Nyamongo passing Mitchell late to grab the victory and the $1,000 first prize. Tim ran a fantastic race - missing his half marathon PR from September by 7 seconds. Despite his travel from Philly to Nashville to Birmingham AND running around the city all Saturday morning to watch Ted and Matt run, Tim clocked 1:10.07.

All of the racing provided real drama and excitement all weekend. The fans were lucky enough to see runners truly place it all on the line. We know our guys did - and we're proud that PTC could be part of a running weekend which helps define the sport in our country.

2004 U.S. Olympic Men's Marathon Trials
32nd Place, Edward Callinan, 2:22.20
56th Place, Matthew Byrne, 2:29.56

Mercedes Half Marathon 2004
9th Place, Timothy Callinan, 1:10.06

More Information:
http://www.usatf.org
http://www.letsrun.com
http://www.runnersworld.com
http://www.mensracing.com

29 January 2004
Bronx Borough, NYC

BENJAMIN POSTS SECOND PR IN ONE WEEK'S TIME

PTC's second trip to Thursday Night at the Armory found Jay Benjamin recording his second 3k PR of the week! Jay, Andrew, and Rob arrived later than planned at the Armory, but it did not undermine Jay's concentration. After some dispute about his entry into the seeded heat, Jay proved his mettle by scalping another 7 seconds off his 3k best. At the mile, Jay found his same with a split that mimicked his Haverford performance. "I wanted to go through the mile in 4:40," Jay conceded afterwards. "But I found it took me a little while to get going. That's kind of frustrating. But I know I can run better. And this strength later in the race makes me think I will be ready to run a good 5k this Spring."

Three places from last at the mile, Jay began to move his way through the pack. Jay's next 1400m were more to his liking, recording a 2:54 final K (which included last circuits in 34 and 32 respectively). "Yeah, I think I finished up well. That's about as well as I could close."

Andrew and Rob raced in subsequent heats which wound up being more tactical affairs than opportunities to run solid times. Andrew's speed was unfortunately not utilized and he is searching for the appropriate opportunity to pop a good time. We will definitely help him find it. Rob placed another race under his belt as he continues to make the arduous transition to the open
ranks.

Maximizing the opportunity to run one of the best tracks around, all three of our guys doubled back to run the mile and get what the guys on the team like to refer to as "the edge." After several consecutive races, Jay will train and rest up for a big race at the FastTrack Invitational. We will have several guys running in this high performance meet. But Brian might race the 1500m at the second Haverford meet as a tune-up, so stay tuned. Indoor track...rolls on.

Thursday Night at the Races 2004
Men's Mile
Andrew Cleary, 4:33
Jay Benjamin, 4:39
Rob Hewitt, ?

Men's 3000m
Jay Benjamin, 8:52
Andrew Cleary, 9:10
Rob Hewitt, 9:23

18 & 24 January 2004
Cardiff, Wales, UK & Haverford, PA

POERNER COMPETES IN EURO CROSS AND PTC MEMBERS FIND NEW PRs!

Like most runners, Bryan doesn't leave his shoes behind when he travels. But he makes sure to take his  racing shoes every time as well! On vacation in England with Thi, Bryan took an early morning Sunday train ride to Cardiff, Wales, to compete in the Reebok 2004 Cross Country Series. This is big-time race, with thousands of pounds at stake. True to form, the course featured unusual markers such as a castle along the route and high barriers to hurdle. Bryan said they looked almost like tables. "It was such a great experience to run a Euro cross meet," Bryan remarked upon his return. Normally, Bryan would have been upset with his finish, but as he was on vacation, we'll give him a break. He still finished well, taking 32nd Place overall. With numerous hurdles and sloppy, muddy conditions, Bryan ran 30:26 for 9 kilometers.

Back in the States, Tim, Jay, and Andrew raced on a much friendlier surface. The trio lined up for the first indoor Haverford meet of the year. With solid competition, our guys came through with great performances. At the mile mark, Tim was sitting in third position. Jay was just a few ticks back. After slipping to this in the next 800 meters, Tim then took the lead at the 2000m mark and pushed the pace. This would help him pull clear of the field that included a 3:51 1500m runner. Jay and Andrew moved up steadily. By the time the race was over, PTC found 2 runners with new PRs! Tim bettered his old personal best by 7 seconds to run 8:56. Tim also walked away with first place. Rounding into great shape, Jay also PR'd - cracking 9 minutes. Jay stopped the clock in 8:59. This was Andrew's first race of the year and he toed the line without the fortune to warm up, so we're sure Andrew will do much more.

When guys run hard, win races, and the runners set personal bests, you can't ask for much more. Congrats, guys.

Provided the weather permits, Jay, Bryan, and Rob will be heading up for the next installment of Thursday night at the Armory this week. Check back to see how they ran!

Reebok Cardiff Cross Challenge 9k 2004
32nd Place, Bryan Poerner, 30:26

Haverford Invitational 2004
1st Place, Tim Callinan, 8:46
5th Place, Jay Benjamin, 8:59
? Place, Andrew Cleary, 9:06

15 January 2003
Bronx Borough, NY

The weather mimicked the setting for this early season PTC racing. With bone chilling winds outside, Tim Callinan and Rob Hewitt had to face the music and "break the ice" on their lack of racing.

Their circumstances were different, but the task was the same. Rob Hewitt recently joined PTC after graduating from St. Joseph's University mid-year. Off to his best seasonal start ever in cross country during the 2003 campaign, Rob was diagnosed with bronchitis after the team's third meet. The rest of the Fall would be a struggle for Rob, and his early days with PTC have been tempered with caution and patience. Tim, as you might recall, was off to a great start as well this past cross country season before dropping out at the Gennessee Valley Invitational due to weakness. Two days later, Tim was rushed to a hospital and diagnosed with viral pneumonia.

Our PTC guys traveled up the Jersey turnpike to the famed 168th Street Armory - where the USATF Hall of Fame is awaiting its official grand opening. Tim and Rob competed in a rare 2 mile race.  Even though this was a mid-week meet, there were good runners on hand. At the start, Sean Mick of the Haddonfield Running Company took to the front. Tim tucked in to the chase pack. Clicking off laps between 34 and 35, Tim was running a solid race - especially after the mile mark when Mick had a sizeable lead and Tim found himself running for 2nd place alone.

With no one to help him chase Mick, Tim finished the 2 mile race in 9:33. This time converts to a 3000 mark which is literally just off Tim's PR! For a guy who hasn't raced since early October, we couldn't be more pleased with the result. "It's frustrating," Tim remarked afterwards. "I felt like I could go another mile at that pace, but I couldn't go faster." That is due to a mere lack of races. Tim's 3000m PR will almost assuredly come down before the Winter is out. Rob struggled throughout his first race for PTC and crossed the line at 10:10. Rob knew it was going to be a tough effort. But you have to start somewhere. When Rob is running fast times again, he'll look back at this race and realize how far he has come.

Next Up: Poerner crosses the 'pond' and races Euro Cross in Cardiff, Wales, UK while the rest of the team keeps it local to run in Haverford's first indoor meet of the season.

Thursday Night at the Races 2004
Men's 2 Mile
Tim Callinan, 2nd Place, 9:33
Rob Hewitt, ? Place, 10:10

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Read past reports:

January 2004
February 2004
March 2004
April 2004
May 2004
June 2004
July 2004
August 2004
September 2004
October 2004
November 2004
December 2004

2005
2003
2002