Boulder Wave Articles

Diane Nukuri Johnson (ASICS) continued her recent hot streak, winning this morning’s 5th Season 8K in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in a new PB and Burundi national record of 26:07. “I was surprised how many runners they had in this year. There were four or five Kenyan girls here this year, and the men’s field must have had 20 Kenyan guys. It is nice to have a good race like this so close to home and be able to drive instead of flying across the country.” Diane’s mark was 35 seconds faster than her 2009 win in the event.

Adriana Pirtea Nelson (ASICS) smashed her 10K PB this morning with a 32:49 effort at the hot, humid, and muggy Peachtree 10K, finishing 6th overall and top American woman in the usual stellar field in Atlanta. “I was being a little conservative at the beginning, and even with the long downhills, ran about 16:09 or 16:10 for the first 5K. After that, I felt good on the hills and could pass a lot of people.”  The new mark sliced more than half a minute off her former PB of 33:21, which she set at the 2007 World’s Best 10K.

Lidia Simon (ASICS) took 14th in 35:03. In the US men’s 10K Championship run as part of Peachtree today, Josh Moen (Mizuno/Team USA Minnesota) took 12th (21st overall) in 29:20, with Justin Young right behind him in 13th (22nd overall) in 29:26. Race conditions were reported as temperatures in the mid-70s at the start with humidity over 80%.

Sara just finished racing the 1500m at the Vancouver Sun Harry Jerome Track Classic in Canada, and absolutely nailed it. She took almost three seconds off her PB with a 4:08.74 (preliminary result) for 3rd place. “I felt really, really good. I thought if I got under 4:10 today, I’d be happy, but now I want to find another race. I was a bit conservative, and the third lap was a bit slow. I wanted to go with 500m left, but got a little boxed in. From 300m out I was able to go, and I hit about 62 seconds for the final 400m! I think I can get to 4:05 if we can find a meet over in Europe quickly.”

Since returning from last year’s maternity leave, Sara has now run PBs this year for the indoor 1500m (4:20.52), 800m (2:03.70), and now today’s awesome effort. Great job!!!

Sara in action this Spring at the Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational 800m

Sara Vaughn (adidas) hit her 1500m “A” qualifier for the US national championships today with a 4:14.8 mostly solo effort at the Emerald Valley Track Club Open in Eugene, Oregon. Following up last Saturday’s 2:03.70 PB, Sara now has “A” marks for both the 800m and 1500m, and plans to run the 1500m at the national championships next week. Congrats!

Friday Night at Rizzi's

“1, 2, 3, 4, can I have a little more?” Lennon/McCartney

Boulder Wave’s five invited women at today’s Steamboat Classic 4 Mile were not satisfied to take “only” the top four places, but made it a clean sweep of the top 5 places and the women’s prize money. The trio of Adriana Nelson (ASICS), Diane Nukuri Johnson (ASICS), and 2009 world championships marathon silver medalist Yoshimi Ozaki (adidas/Daiichi Life Insurance) quickly broke from the field and passed through the mile in 5:05. With Adriana heading the group, the three passed the mid-point at Glen Oak Park in about 10:23, and the half-way prime bonus of $500 went to Adriana. Shortly thereafter, Yoshimi slipped off the pace. Diane and Adriana came through 5K in 16:08, dead even. Diane began her surge after that, and used her former track speed to open up a five second margin at the finish on Peoria’s waterfront along the mighty Illinois River, taking the biggest road race win of her career so far in 20:41, almost a minute faster than her 7th-place result here last year.

Adriana also continued her vastly improved 2011 racing, taking 2nd in 20:46. Yoshimi came home third in 20:55, followed by Kiyoko Shimahara (Mizuno/Second Wind AC) in 21:55, and Fiona Docherty (ASICS), in her first race since an injury knocked her out of April’s Virgin London Marathon, earning 5th in 22:09.

On the men’s side, Josh Moen (Mizuno/Team USA Minnesota) came back from last week’s 6th-place finish at the US 8K Championship to take 5th in 18:22, with Justin Young right behind in 18:30 for 6th.

Pre-Race Carbs and Italian were at Rizzi's last night. Photo courtesy of Friend-of-Boulder-Wave Tony Desabato

Father’s Day Weekend, so the tradition of Peoria’s Steamboat Classic 4 Mile continues. It is cloudy and overcast here, and the usual muggy, humid conditions will be the backdrop for the race, and rain is not out of the question. Boulder Wave has seven athletes in this year’s race, including Kiyoko Shimahara (Mizuno/Second Wind AC), Yoshimi Ozaki(adidas/Daiichi Seimei), Diane Nukuri Johnson (ASICS), Adriana Nelson (ASICS), Fiona Docherty (ASICS), Josh Moen (Mizuno/Team USA Minnnesota), and Justin Young. Last night, most of the gang went down to Rizzi’s Italian restaurant near the waterfront along the Illinois River. The gun goes off at 7:00 a.m., about an hour from now. Race report later today.

In a weekend devoted to remembering and celebrating Grete Waitz, the New York Road Runner put on the 40th edition of the Mini 10K, the country’s original women-only road race. Boulder Wave sent seven of our top women to the race, and they all contended with not only one of the year’s best fields, but with race day conditions of a stifling 96% humidity.

Edna Kiplagat (Nike) took top honors from our group, with 4th place in 32:24, over a minute faster than in similar conditions six days earlier in Bangalore. “I was really worried I might not make the top 10 with this field. I am also not yet feeling sharp in my legs after London. I feel strong, but I have not yet done much speed work.” Indeed, World Marathon Majors champion Liliya Shobukhova, who edged out Edna for 2nd in London eight weeks ago when they both ran 2:20, struggled to a 35:31 and 18th place in her NYC debut.

Diane Nukuri Johnson (ASICS) took 12th, running a new Burundi 8K NR of 26:40 en route to a 33:28 PB and 10K NR. These were Diane’s third and fourth National Records of the year, going along with her 5K and Marathon marks. Berlin World Championships silver medalist Yoshimi Ozaki (adidas/Daiichi Seimei) made her US road race debut with 13th place in 33:30, also hitting a new 8K record of 26:48 on her way to a 33:30 finish. “Yoshimi is racing here and again next week at the Steamboat [4 Mile] race to work on her finishing speed, which we know will be important in Daegu,” commented coach Sachiko Yamashita.

Adriana Nelson (ASICS) was right with Diane and Yoshimi, finishing a few steps behind in 33:33 for 14th overall, and 2nd American. “I kept trying to push, but nobody around me seemed to want to share the work. I know I am feeling better every week, and I’ll be aggressive from the start next week in Peoria.”

Reigning South African 10K Champion Irvette van Blerk took 17th in 33:56; Yuri Kano (Second Wind AC/Mizuno) was 18th in 34:09; and Lidia Simon (ASICS) was 26th in 35:09.

Diane Nukuri Johnson (ASICS) broke her own Burundi national record with a 15:57 6th-place run at Saturday’s Freihofer’s Run for Women 5K in Albany, New York. Diane ran 52 seconds than her 16:49 18th-place result in last year’s steamy weather at Freihofer’s. New Boulder Wave athlete Meghan Armstrong of Team USA Minnesota took 9th in a 16:13 PB. Irvette van Blerk was bothered by stomach problems after the long trip from South Africa and came home 13th in 16:35.

Diane and Irvette are staying in Albany for the week, and will travel down to New York City on Thursday for this weekend’s NYRR New York Mini 10K, which will also serve as a tribute to the late great Grete Waitz. Meghan will be racing a 5000m on the track looking for a qualifier for US nationals.