Although the Asheville Running Collective has been around as a Blue Ridge Relay team for years (with other team events here and there), 2015 was the year in which we finally went “legit”. The Collective became a sanctioned USATF club, gained non-profit status, and offered support to team members (thanks to the generosity of our sponsors).
By all accounts 2015 can be considered a success - key team victories, impressive individual performances, and the addition of much-needed young blood to the roster.
Here are just a few of the highlights for the Asheville Running Collective in 2015.
Top 5 Team Highlights:
Greater Charlotte Health & Fitness Expo 4 Miler - 28-29 Loss to CRC (Results)
Why list a loss as a highlight? We can answer that question with another question - What fun are team sports without rivalries? The CRC guys helped jumpstart our 2015 campaign with a kick in the pants and a whole lot of motivation. We are excited to have Johnson City TC join the mix in 2016.
Running of the Bulls 8k - Team Win (Results)
Contributions from new ARC racers and a team win at a respected NC road race helped this one sneak into the highlight reel.
Oskar Blues 4 miler (Recap & Results)
The ARC makes an effort to have a strong presence at key events in Western North Carolina. We had 5 in the top 7 for this one and got the bonus of delicious Oskar Blues brews waiting for us at the finish line.
USATF-NC XC Championships - Team Win (Recap & Results)
Another goal of the club is to be competitive on the state and regional level. This win gave the ARC its first USATF-NC title, which we plan to defend at the next XC Championships in less than a month.
Blue Ridge Relay - Team Win and Course Record (Results)
The BRR is the race that started it all for the club, and it remains a top priority. This relay has quietly become one of the most competitive in the country. The win is our goal, first and foremost, but it’s always nice to grab the course record while we're at it (5:39 per mile for 210 miles).
Top 5 Individual Highlights (In no particular order):
Caleb Masland’s USATF-NC Marathon Championship Win (Recap & Results)
Caleb earned 4 marathon wins in 2015, but this gave him the title of USATF-NC Champion.
Justin Gragg’s 5000m Personal Record (Results)
Justin made the trip to Hillsdale, Michigan worth it with a 14:24.75 personal best. Look for big things from him on the track this spring.
Shiloh Mielke’s Shut-In Ridge Run Win (Recap & Results)
In one of the most hyped-up fields in recent memory, Shiloh once again proved his dominance of the iconic Shut-In trail race with his 6th victory.
Frankie Adkins’ Spring Racing Campaign
This 41-year-old put together a string of race performances that would make many 21-year-olds more than happy. First, he had a three-week stint of racing that began with a 32:38 (lifetime) PR at Reedy River 10k, then 21:08 for 4th at the Oskar Blues 4 Miler, and the USATF Masters Indoor National Championship win at 3000m (9:08). He followed that up with what may have been his best performance of the season at the Running of the Bulls 8k - 26:17 for the USATF-NC 8k road title (no, not master's division champ... overall USATF-NC champ). Oh yeah, he threw down a 15:47 track 5000m a few weeks later.
Peyton Hoyal’s Half Marathon Improvement (Recap & Results)
Peyton has always been one of ARC steadiest performers. This year, he made several attempts at the 13.1-mile distance and dropped his time down by nearly 2 minutes to a very solid PR of 1:08:12.
To wrap up the 2015 Year in Review, the Asheville Running Collective would like to thank our sponsors for their incredible support. This support greatly improved our ability to manage injuries, provide team gear, and aid travel and lodging expenses for racers. Thank you OrthoCarolina, Tavis Cummings at Omnium Bodyworks, Miriam Nelson at The Runner’s Mechanic, Myers Chiropractic and Functional Health, and our local running shops - Foot Rx Running and Jus’ Running.
