Press ReleaseHometown favorite Max King of Bend, and Sopagna Eap of Eugene, Ore. both set new course records at the 9th annual Dirty Half half marathon, which served as the first ever USA Half Marathon Trail Championships. USA Track & Field runners from across the country were competing for $3,000 in prize money courtesy of Visit Bend.
Early on in the race the lead pack of runners included King, Eric Bohn (Flagstaff, Ariz.), Mario Mendoza (Cambria, Calif.) and Carlos Trujillo and his twin brother Esteban (Eugene, Ore.). King finished in 1:11:03, followed by the Trujillo brothers, with Carlos coming in at 1:12:17 and Esteban in 1:14:02. Bohn came in 4th (1:14:16) and Mendoza finished in 5th (1:17:20). King earned $700 for the win as he looks to carry his success to next weekend when he heads to Gorham, New Hampshire for the USA Mountain Running Championships at the 50th Annual Mount Washington Road Race.
First Master and 6th overall was Paul Parsons of (Bend, Ore.) in a time of 1:21:36.
On the women's side Eap battled with eventual second place finisher and U.S. Olympic Cross Country Ski Team member, Morgan Arritola (Ketchum, Idaho) for the first nine miles until Eap surged ahead for the win, running 1:22:22. Arritola was timed in 1:23:14 as Bend's very own Lisa Nye rounded out the top-three while also winning the female masters category in 1:27:54. Eap took home $700 for her championship win.
USATF will return to Bend on September 25th for the USA 50 km Trail Championships, with a $3,000 prize purse courtesy of Visit Bend.
For more information on the 2010 USA Half Marathon Trail Championships visit www.usatf.org.
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