March 1, 2016

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Week in Review - action packed

March 1, 2016

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Wow - this past weekend was packed with great racing! Looking through the results was another reminder of just how lucky we are to be a part of such a special running community in Western North Carolina. Not only were Collective racers tearing it up, but Wedge Run regulars and friends-of-the-Collective provided plenty of inspiration and motivation at a variety of events.

First up for the ARC, Javan Lapp competed in a historic race on the Caribbean island of St. John. 8 Tuff Miles lives up to its name with 1400+ feet of climbing in the first 5 miles and 3+ miles screaming back to the finish. Javan came in looking to improve on his 3rd place finish from last year, but ended up having a tough day from the start. Fortunately for him, he has two weeks in the Virgin Islands to get over the disappointment. Also - shout out to Emily Egelhoff Whalen, who placed 2nd off very sporadic training. Impressive!

Back in the Carolinas, Chass Armstrong and Peyton Hoyal competed in the GHS Swamp Rabbit Half Marathon. This event, known for it’s lighting-fast point-to-point course layout, is becoming a target on more and more WNC-area racers’ schedules. Early in the race, both Chass and Peyton were in the mix with the lead pack. A few miles in, surges were made and the real racing began. Chass pushed the pace in the second half and broke away with the eventual winner. His efforts earned him a strong 2nd place in the mid-68s. Peyton grinded it out through an “off day” and kicked well to earn 3rd in a near photo finish. Nice efforts from both guys.

Brent Schouler and David Workman also laced up this weekend to represent the Collective locally at the Chilly Challenge 8k. Brent had a great battle up front throughout the race and held on for 2nd place in 26:56 on the hilly course. Dave bounced back well from his recent 25k trail race to grab fourth place overall, as well as the Master’s win.

Finally, major props to all of those from the WNC running scene who represented the mountains so well at both Swamp Rabbit and the Black Mountain Marathon!

8 Tuff Miles Road Race - St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands
Javan Lapp - 8th - 55:52
Results

GHS Swamp Rabbit Half Marathon - Greenville, SC
Chass Armstrong - 2nd - 1:08:40
Peyton Hoyal - 3rd - 1:10:02
Results

Chilly Challenge 8k - Weaverville, NC
Brent Schouler - 2nd - 26:56
David Workman - 4th - 28:50
Results

February 18, 2016

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Week in Review - ARC Racing Nationwide

February 18, 2016

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Last week, the Collective raced nationwide with Caleb Masland lining up for the ‪#‎LAMarathon‬ and Justin Gragg competing in the 5000m up in Michigan. Both had results that fell below their expectations, but each walked away healthy and ready to fight another day in the near future.

Early into the marathon, Caleb was locked into his goal pace, but by halfway he was already experiencing leg cramping. It was a long day at the office from that point on. He hung tough to finish in 2:42:44. Fear not! Caleb will surely regroup and utilize the strength gained in this recent marathon buildup for some strong performances in the spring. Follow his progress at Team Wicked Bonkproof's Facebook page and @CalebMasland.

Justin, who is finishing up his final seasons of NCAA eligibility at Mars Hill University, treked up to Grand Valley State University for his first 5000m of the track season. Unfortunately, he was dealing with a slight injury and lingering illness in recent weeks, so he wasn’t able to bring is A game. His 14:45 finishing time was solid, but we know that his best races are ahead of him. Keep an eye out for some big performances from Justin in the coming weeks and months.

Skechers Performance LA Marathon - Los Angeles, CA
Caleb Masland - 36th - 2:42:44
Results

GSVU Big Meet Invite - Allendale, MI
Justin Gragg - 5000m - 14:45.30
Results

February 4, 2016

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CRC Winter Classic 8k Recap

February 4, 2016

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A week after being snowed out, the Charlotte Running Club's Winter Classic 8k was held this past Saturday under bluebird skies and 60+ degree temps at McAlpine Park in Charlotte, NC.

This race has been a focus on our club’s calendar for several years due to our great rivalry with the Charlotte Running Club. While this clash reaches its climax at the Blue Ridge Relay every September, the CRC Winter Classic has been a welcomed opportunity to keep the competitive fire going and test ourselves (and each other) in the “off season”.

Driscoll spent most of the race tucked in before making his bid for the win

This year’s Winter Classic 8k looked to have one of it’s most competitive fields yet, as it was serving as both the USATF-NC XC Championships and Road Runners Club of America NC XC Championships. Even with team and individual conflicts arising from the ‪Winter Storm Jonas‬ race-day postponement, CRC and ARC were still able to field competitive teams and put on a good show.

On race day, CRC showed up to the start line with a deep roster of guys ready to defend their home turf. The Collective was forced to play catch-up from the gun as Charlotte had a large pack pushing the pace at the front. While some Asheville racers were able to move up, Charlotte’s depth proved too much to overcome. In the end, CRC won the belt back with a 21-45 team score. Well-earned victory, guys.

All was not lost, as Asheville was able to score the individual victory with Mark Driscoll’s third Winter Classic win in four years. Driscoll battled with a pack of CRC racers for the majority of the race before pulling away in the final mile to cross the line in 25:07. CRC put the team title out of reach by snagging the next four spots, before Javan Lapp, Caleb Masland, and Phil Latter finished in 6th, 8th, and 9th, respectively.

We’d like to thank our competitors and hosts at the Charlotte Running Club for putting on such a great event. Be sure to take good care of the belt - we’d like it in tip-top shape when it returns to its rightful place in the mountains later this year.

Charlotte Running Club's Winter Classic 8k - Charlotte, NC
Mark Driscoll - 1st - 25:07
Javan Lapp - 6th - 26:04
Caleb Masland - 8th - 26:11
Philip Latter - 9th - 26:13
Brent Schouler - 21st - 27:18
Colin Kalescky - 23rd - 27:39
Ryan Courtoy - 28th - 29:03
Results

Photo Credit: Emily Egelhoff-Whalen

January 5, 2016

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Week in Review - JAX Half

January 5, 2016

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On Sunday, Peyton Hoyal and Brent Schouler set the tone for ARC’s 2016 racing campaign with strong results at the Jacksonville Bank Half Marathon.

In cool, wet conditions, the guys lined up with a field loaded with Olympic Trials hopefuls sure to set an aggressive pace from the gun. Peyton was able to run a controlled first 10k then pick off the front pack’s stragglers in the final miles on the way to his second-fastest half marathon to date.

Brent locked into his goal pace from the start and ran nearly the whole race by himself, passing only one runner and being passed by none. Even with the lack of competition, he demonstrated his improved fitness with a nearly 90 second personal best. Great effort guys!

Jacksonville Bank Half Marathon - Jacksonville, FL
Peyton Hoyal - 56th - 1:09:05
Brent Schouler - 65th - 1:11:54
Results

December 31, 2015

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Year in Review

December 31, 2015

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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.

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