Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Dramatic Finale Awaits NRRL Teams!

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Three teams are dead-locked for 1st place in the 2012 edition of the National Road Racing League!  DC Running Coach, Athletes Without Limits, and Capital Alumni Network have each amassed 17 points through 9 races thus far.  AWL has won the last 2 races and has the momentum, while DCRC has won the most races (and would therefore win a tie-breaker if there were to be one).  CAN has been consistent all year-long, so this winner-take-all race at the final showdown of the season should prove to be a hotly contested battle of team strength!

At the last race, the Navy 5-Miler, AWL took first place with a strong showing from all 4 runners.  Captain Melani Hom, a.k.a., Mevani, won the women's race with teammate Michelle "Duece" Harburg in 2nd.  CAN captain Natalie Allgeier was once again on the NRRL podium taking 3rd.  Allgeier led 3 other teammates (Eubanks, Nistler and Still) who were next across the line.  All four of these CAN runners have a shot at an Individual Plaque at the awards party, as each can finish top-3 overall in the final rankings.  Faith Korbel can earn a 3rd place spot with a strong showing, while Hom and Sosland will be in contention for the overall title!

For the men at the Navy 5M, AWL runners Dave Deschyver and Andrae Baly led the way, finishing 1st and 5th, respectively.  Frequent top dogs Steven Leibowitz and Tyler Howell represented CAN and finished 2nd and 4th.  Memo Saenz from Evolution was the 3rd place finisher, while teammate Mark Hindin earned more points and moved into the top-10 in the overall standings.  Leibowitz has all but clinched the overall title, as teammate Howell can still technically gain the most points depending on who shows up at the final race.  Saenz, Holman, and Williamson are all battling for the final two Individual Plaques.

This last race will be very exciting for the individual standings, as nothing will be for certain until we see who shows up on race day!  More importantly, a 3-way tie needs to be broken in the Team Rankings!  Kinetic Fitness and Evolution runners can certainly play spoiler when it's time to do the math!

The Accumen Solutions Race for a Cause 8k was also the last race of the season in 2011, and a similar scenario had to be played out to determine a team champion and men's individual champion.  It's a relatively fast course with a long steady decline to the turnaround cone, followed by some hard work on the way back, before rounding the final 2 turns in a straight, flat sprint to the finish!

Who will win!?  Cast your vote on Facebook or Twitter!  Bragging rights are on the line for top running club in the Washington, DC area!


Come out and support your team in the final race of the 2012 NRRL season!

Mike