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Final non-championship PAUSATF Cross Country Grand Prix event Saturday in Marin
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The final non-championship PAUSATF Cross Country Grand Prix event, the John Lawson Tamalpa Challenge, or Johnny for short, will be held this Saturday, October 31. Tamalpa hosts this event annually, usually held at China Camp near San Rafael, but this year the meet will be held at a new location, Rodeo Valley, in the Golden Gate National Recreation area.
The Tamalpa Challenge is a hilly course (photo by Lynn Walker).
The meet will consist of three races, the women at 9:00am, the masters men at 10:00am and the open men at 11:00am. All races are 4.25 miles over trails that include one section with a 400 foot climb in one mile. Fortunately, the race finishes downhill over the same section.
Those runners and teams that have run in at least 5 races this season can still improve their score in the standings by throwing out their lowest score with a higher placing this week. Those runners and teams with less than 5 scores for the season will be able to improve their position in the standings dramatically.
The Tamalpa Challenge also presents breath-taking views of the ocean (photo by Lynn Walker).
The Asics Aggies lead the open men team standings while the Impalas lead the open women teams. Transport Adidas could still challenge the Aggies on the men's side, with a good showing this weekend. Either the Aggies or Tamalpa could close in on the Impalas for the women's team lead.
The Aggies hold a narrow lead over Empire for masters men, and Tamalpa holds an equally narrow lead over the Impalas for the masters women.
Among individuals, Linda Somers Smith (Aggies) has taken over the lead in the open division standings, with Christine Kennedy (WVJS) leading in the masters. Kennedy won't be racing this weekend, and Smith or Valerie Young (Tamalpa) could still pass her for the lead. Kennedy is expected to win the senior division without difficulty. JoAnne Rowland (Impalas) has clinched the super-senior standings victory and Katie Martin needs only to finish one more race to win the veteran division title.
On the men's side, Jonathan Charlesworth (WVTC) has led since the second race of the season. Only Austin Ramos (Transport Adidas) stands in a good position to surpass Charlesworth. In the masters men division, Chris Schille (Aggies) currently leads, but expect Ty Strange (Empire) to appear this weekend and move back into second and setup a showdown at the PAUSATF Championships. Brian Pilcher (Tamalpa) has reclaimed first place in the seniors standings, a position he relinquished to teammate, Tom O'Reilly, several weeks ago. Pilcher is expected to finish atop the very competitive senior division. Bill Dunn (WVJS) has already clinched the super-senior standings for the season and Carl Petersen (WVJS) has very nearly clinched the veteran title.
Racers will receive a beer mug and are treated to a kegger after their race. Last year's race was held in the rain, with buffetting winds playing havoc with the erected coverings, but nobody seemed to mind greatly. This year the weather is expected to be much better.
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