LetsRun.com and Running Times are proud to announce the winners of the Road Trip of a Lifetime contest. The competition for the 2 spots on the RV from Boulder to the NCAA cross country nationals in Terre Haute, IN and back was fierce but in the end the winners were Jeff Blivens and Liz Sabochik.

Blivens and Sabochik beat out formidable competiton. The entries came from virtually all parts of the United States (well we got no love from Alaska and Hawaii). We had the young and the middle aged (16 to 45+) apply. We had a sub 4 minute miler, a USA Marathon champ, NCAA All-Americans, and even a former editor of Running Times apply. We also had an Englishman and a Dutchman apply as well.

The 200 word entries ranged from the silly to the sublime, from poetry to prose, and from the ass kissing to the arrogant.  But in the end Blivens and Sabochik came out on top.

Blivens, 34, of Aurora, CO, is a substitute teacher and coach at Smoky Hill High School, home of the #4 ranked girls cross country team in the nation led by the Kaltenbach sisters. Blivens like virtually all of the contestants is a running fanatic (he and his wife ran in college, his brother in law ran at the 2000 Olympic Marathon Trials, he traveled to the 1998 NCAA cross-country championships and embarrassed his entire family by yelling "Goucher dropped the hammer" when Adam Goucher pulled away from Abdi Abdirahman). But being a running fanatic did nothing (and trust us when we say nothing) to make Blivens stand out from our other contestants.  Blivens stood out from the crowd when he wrote "(my goal is to) Inspire kids to achieve and move through life in a positive manner!  Every kid is important and worth time and effort, regardless of background, interests, or aspirations!" How could we not pick someone who is trying to give so much back to the sport and to tomorrow's leaders?

Our other winner, Liz Sabochik, is a very brave soul. Liz was one of only 5 women to vie for a spot on the RV, and she applied solo not saying she wanted to go with one of her friends.  Liz however appears undaunted by the challenge of being crammed in an RV for 4 days with Chris Lear and 4 of his male friends (Chris' wife Shawn is also going on the trip). Perhaps she picked up her courage at the University of Colorado where Liz was a former captain of the cross-country and track teams. Liz's courage has its limits as she tells us if it is as cold in Terre Haute, Indiana as it was in  Ames, Iowa 2 years ago for the NCAA cross-country championships she will not get out of the RV. But who could blame her. If it's that cold, we will try and get permission from the NCAA to drive the RV on the course as the lead vehicle so we can watch the race.

And ladies and gentleman we are proud to announce the other members on the RV who will be joining our 2 lucky contest winners, Liz and Jeff. Your starting 5 (and sixth woman) are below:

And coming off the bench (for the return trip from Terre Haute to Colorado): Rojo and other unidentified people

And Wejo still contends we should have picked this contestant below who wrote:

I realize I don't lead an exciting, note-worthy lifestyle, and trying to talk myself up as special and worthy of making a trip to one of the greatest races around would really make me sound like a jackass, but it might be just that very reason I deserve to go. My life sucks!  I go to school in Spokane, Washington--or as I appropriately refer to--The 'Kan.  This place blows! I need to get out even just for a weekend trip to nationals.  I kid you not, and I am not saying this to kiss ass and I completely serious, I have read Running with the Buffaloes 6 times in the last year!!  SIX!!! I mean the book is awesome, but I have so little to do besides running and schoolwork in the 'Kan, that I have had enough time to read this book six times!  So I beg of you (wait, no begging) let me live!  I eat light, I can be easily stored, I don't smell too bad, if I am annoying you can beat me, I don't snore, I pack light, can I carry your bag? I don't bite, I can fill the tank!