Colleen De Reuck Going for US Cross Country Three Peat Later in Month in Central Park January 31, 2006 By David Monti (c) 2006 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved
She'll
turn 42 on April 13, but Colleen De Reuck is still the favorite to win
her third consecutive U.S. cross country title next month in the 8-K
event. The USA Cross Country Championships come to New York City's Van
Cortlandt Park on February 18th and 19th.
"Colleen is the
consumate cross country runner," commented Mary Wittenberg, president
and CEO of the New York Road Runners, who are organizing the event.
"With decades of success behind her, she continues to amaze us with
her success, and she should be the one to beat again."
The South
African-born De Reuck, a long time resident of Boulder, Colo., where
she lives with husband Darren and daughter Tasmyn, became a U.S.
citizen on Dec. 11, 2000 and has been a force in U.S. distance running
since. She won the U.S. 8-K cross country title for the first time in
2004 by a whopping 31 seconds, and won last year's race by a generous
21 seconds. She was the top U.S. finisher at the IAAF World Cross
Country Championships in St. Galmier, France, last year, finishing
13th. At the 2002 edition of those championships, she won an
individual bronze medal with a gritty home stretch run, beating Miwako
Yamanaka of Japan.
"Cross country has always been a very
important part of my running, and I am thrilled to return in 2006 to
the USA Cross Country Championships in New York City," said De Reuck in
a press release.
De Reuck's top challenger should be Katie
McGregor of Team USA Minnesota. McGregor, 28, the reigning U.S.
10,000m champion, finished second to De Reuck at the USA Cross Country
Championships in 2004, and was fifth last year. She's entered in both
the 4-K and 8-K events at this year's championships.
"I am not
sure if I will run both or not," McGregor said in an e-mail message to
RRW. "I am leaning toward it right now, but I will have to see how
things play out with the weather and my 8-K race (the day before).
McGregor
said that despite her age, De Reuck, the 2004 U.S. Olympic Trials
Marathon champion, deserves her place as the event's favorite.
"Colleen
is an inspiration!" she wrote. "She is a true leader and a tough
competitor. I really enjoy racing against her and wish her the best of
luck in her race. She's not 41 years old, but a beautiful 41 years
YOUNG!"