USA 10-K WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIPS SET FOR MONDAY IN BOSTON
By David Monti
(c) 2012 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved - used with permission.

BOSTON (06-Oct) -- The second half of this weekend's road running doubleheader here is Monday's 36th Tufts Health Plan 10-K for Women which will host the USA women's 10-K road running championship for the 18th time in the last 19 years.  A new champion will be crowned because last year's winner Janet Bawcom will be competing at the USA 10-Mile Championships in Minneapolis tomorrow and is not entered in Monday's race here.

Olympians Magdalena Lewy Boulet and Jen Rhines are the top entrants here for Monday's race.  Lewy Boulet, 39, has won two USA titles (20-K, 2010 and half-marathon, 2009), while Rhines, 38, has won five (10,000m, 2002; 15-K, 1998, 2005 and 2011; half-marathon, 2011). They have 10,000m personal bests of 31:48.58 and 31:17.31, respectively, and both are experienced road runners.

Other top contenders for the win are Neely Spence (5000m PB of 15:27.72), Tara Erdman (10,000m PB of 32:09.15), Kellyn Johnson (32:30.40), Katie McGregor (31:21.20), Stephanie Rothstein (32:24.25), and Lindsey Scherf (32:51.20).  The championship record is 31:46 by Marla Runyan on the same Tufts course in 2002.

Last year's event had 6438 finishers; some 8000 women and girls have signed up for the 10-K and 1-K kids run.

PHOTO: Magdalena Lewy Boulet winning the 2010 USA 20-K title at the Stratton Faxon New Haven Road Race (photo by David Monti for Race Results Weekly)

RESOURCE: A list of previous USA 10-K women's road running champions is here: http://usatf.org/statistics/USA-Champions/Championship/USA-10-km/Women.aspx

ENDS