Race Results - Philly Marathon

A bit over a week ago, Chass Armstrong lined up at the Philadelphia Marathon for his third go at the 26.2-mile distance. While previous efforts at Steamtown (2:31) and Kentucky Derby (2:33) didn’t net results that matched his true ability, Philly was a step in the right direction.

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In the first half, Chass ran in the 5:20-high to 5:40-low range and hit 13.1 miles right around 1:12:30. He was solo for large portions of the second half and had to hold it together during the course’s windiest sections. After a rough patch from miles 17-20, he rallied for the next few then hung tough to the finish. The end result was Chass’ first sub-2:30 marathon and valuable experience for his next crack at a personal best in the spring.

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Philadelphia Marathon - Philadelphia, PA
Chass Armstrong - 13th - 2:29:19
Results
Strava Data

Week in Review - Racing in Richmond

The Asheville Running Collective had a solid showing up in Richmond, VA on Sunday.  

In the American Family Fitness Half Marathon, Philip Latter demonstrated the strong gains in fitness he has earned this fall by nearly knocking off a ten-year-old personal record (1:12:11) with his 1:12:18. Look for Phil to continue his attack on more PRs this winter.

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Peyton Hoyal was also in Richmond on Sunday to toe the line at the HCA Virginia 8k.  This was Peyton’s first race after his marathon a month ago and he made it count with a new PR of 24:56. Talk about taking advantage of marathon fitness!  It is clear that Peyton is building toward a very successful year of racing in 2016.

Finally, a shout-out is in order for our rivals at the Charlotte Running Club who laid down some strong performances at their hometown race, the Thunder Road marathon. Masa Shirotake (2:27:57), Bert Rodriguez (2:28:39), and Mike Mitchell (2:35:47) showed that January’s CRC 8k will be a battle!  Nice work, guys.

American Family Fitness Half Marathon - Richmond, VA
Philip Latter - 20th - 1:12:18
Searchable Results

HCA Virginia 8k - Richmond, VA
Peyton Hoyal - 11th - 24:56
Searchable Results

Week in Review - Shut-In!

It was another strong week of performances on the trail, road, and grass for the Asheville Running Collective.

On Saturday, several members of the Collective lined up for the Shut-In Ridge Run, one of Asheville’s most iconic races. This 17.8 miler follows the rugged Shut-In trail as it climbs 3000 feet along the Blue Ridge Parkway with a finish at Mt. Pisgah. Weather often plays a role in the race and this year was no different with a night of rain leaving a slick trail of leaves and rocks for the runners to navigate.

Leading into the race, the 2015 edition looked to be one of the most competitive fields assembled in its 37th year history. The depth and speed of the field lived up to the hype with the lead pack pushing the pace early and pulling most of the field out very fast. The quick start took its toll on many of the front runners and made for an especially brutal final few miles. Shiloh Mielke held on best and maintained a 6-minute lead to the finish line in 2:33:59 to earn his sixth Shut-In victory. The next ARC racers across the line were Dave Workman (7th), Javan Lapp (8th), and Jerad Crave (11th). Stay tuned for an in-depth race report.

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Another notable result of the weekend came from ARC’s Blue Ridge Relay team member Harry Dixon in the Monumental Half Marathon. Harry has strung together some great racing since crushing his set of legs at the BRR. On Saturday, he lowered his PR from 1:06:23 (set in October) to a very quick 1:04:26 (4:56 mile pace!) on his way to the overall win. Keep it rolling, Harry!

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Finally, Phillip Latter capped a successful first season of coaching at Brevard High by leading the girls to a state championship victory in the NCHSAA 2A classification. This is the second state meet title of the fall for the ARC’s HS coaches. Last week, Mark Driscoll’s Carolina Day School girls won the NCISAA 2A state title for the second year in a row. Brent Schouler, we are expecting big things from your teams next year!

Shut-In Ridge Run - Asheville, NC
Shiloh Mielke - 1st - 2:33:59 
Dave Workman - 7th - 2:44:03
Javan Lapp - 8th - 2:44:35
Jerad Crave - 11th - 2:48:15
Results 

Monumental Half Marathon - Indianapolis, IN 
Harry Dixon - 1st - 1:04:26
Results 

NCHSAA 2A State Championships - Kernersville, NC 
Brevard High School Girls - 1st 
Results 

NCISAA 2A State Championships - Charlotte, NC
Carolina Day School Girls - 1st
Results 

Week in Review - Victory!

On Sunday, one of the members of ARC's Boone outpost, Caleb Masland, lined up for the Raleigh City of Oaks Marathon. His 2:34:31 finishing time was a bit off of the 2:30:39 PR he set in the 2013 edition of the same race, but his ability to keep it together in the final 10k earned him the win.

Caleb is known as a smart trainer (see: CoachCaleb.com) and a consistent racer. He will no doubt have another crack at the 2:30 barrier in the near future. Enjoy the recovery, Caleb!

City of Oaks Marathon - Raleigh, NC
Caleb Masland - 1st - 2:34:31
Results

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Photo credit: City of Oaks Marathon

‪#‎FearThePony‬ // ‪#‎DevoteToTheGoat‬

Week in Review

After a busy few weeks of racing, most of the Collective focused on training this week. The colors in the woods are at near peak right now, so the guys got in some solid leaf peeping 15-20 miles at a time. 

One guy who did pin on a bib and toe the line this weekend (twice actually) was Scott Williams. While in the middle of a Cal International Marathon training block, he decided to take advantage of some nearby races (to his current home base in Oregon) for strong efforts. 

First up was an 8k XC race over at Oregon State. His 28:01 finish was a solid after a relaxed start. Next up was Sunday’ Columbia Gorge Marathon in Hood River. This was another successful outing, as he earned the W in a steady 2:43:03. Clearly, Scott’s fitness is on the right track for his goal marathon in December. Keep it rolling! 

Oregon State Beaver Classic 8k - Corvallis, OR
Scott Williams - 64th - 28:01
Results

Columbia Gorge Marathon - Hood River, OR
Scott Williams - 1st - 2:43:03
Results