Best Mountain Running Team Ever?

I don't know whether or not it's the best team ever. But you can't say all the top guys are back since Eric Blake (2nd on the team in '06) is not on the squad.

It certainly looks to be a solid team on paper. Simon, Paul amd Rickey all have top 25 finishes to there credit. Rickey has stepped up his running a notch in the last year by winning the US Mountain Running Championships at Cranmore and the qualifier race in Steamboat Springs the next week on what I assume were pretty trashed quads. Shiloh has some experience form last year's WMRT and should be able to make some gains from last year. Clint and Peyton both have great resumes. It will be interesting to see how they run in a big time mountain race. The course in Switzerland is brutal on the downhills.

Good luck to everyone on the team. I'll be rooting for you all.

Kevin

Any reason Nicole Hunt isn't listed for the women's team? She's had a good showing the last few years.

team is okay. Won't compete with top teams though, they have 28 minute 10k runners on their team. We don't have guys who are of that quality. Also rans at best

wells qualified while running 30 miles a week. i'm sure he will train a bit more seriously for the world champs.

No guys of 28min 10k quality???

Wells owns personal bests of 8:23.26 (steeplechase), 13:27.52 (5,000m) and 27:56.90 (10,000m).

Like the womens steeple, we will see many average athletes get a good name & a great trip till this event gets more respect & more competative.

True a sub 28 guy is on our team, but off of EZ training(should we put alberto salazar on the team, he is sub 28 & sub 2:09 marathon!!!)

One team member got beat this week by a local runner in a big hilly (his speciality) 5K in Asheville, NC.

Would another top runner that made a world team on the track or road be handeled so easily over 5k in thier hometowns big race????

hmmmmmm wrote:

One team member got beat this week by a local runner in a big hilly (his speciality) 5K in Asheville, NC.

Would another top runner that made a world team on the track or road be handeled so easily over 5k in thier hometowns big race????

Although I somewhat agree with your main point, a "big hilly 5K" in North Carolina is an entirely different animal than a top mountain race. And something tells me his training wasn't aimed at peaking for that 5K.

anybody remember Rick Trujillio from Colorado? A great mountain racer from the 70s and 80s? Or Chuck Smead?

another vote for Chuck Smead - uncanny and abnormal affinity for hills

I think not....

The domination of the Italians at the 1999 champs at Kinabalu champs was impressive.

The yanks are also never renowned for their downhill ability either.

I am willing to eat my hat if they prove otherwise this year.

The mountain team can hardly be compared with a US track team. It is a real specialty event and is a relatively new event. The team member who was beaten in a local 5k only lost by 5 seconds, so no disgrace. You are correct in saying that this would not happen to a US road or track team member

Wells will be top 10

in response....this IS the team with the most POTENTIAL

to do well at the worlds.

All other comments above are pure speculation....It is fun to read and pick out those that have no idea what they are talking about and those that have some experience...

any one thinking that making the team is easy....show up for the trials next year or shut up....

curious?? wrote:

Any reason Nicole Hunt isn't listed for the women's team? She's had a good showing the last few years.

Teams were very competitive this year. Hunt was 3rd American at Cranmore (Eastern qualifier). Laura Haefeli got the at-large bid, she was 2nd at Steamboat and Mt. Tam races.

Women's team is pretty impressive too-

2 returning Gold medal team members from last year (Lundy, Cuellar) and 2 Bronze medal team members from 2004, both of whom have finished in the top 10 before (Ortiz and Haefeli).

It's a pretty competitive team when you have someone like Hunt, who was top American last year, not make the team. All bodes good things for the US Mt. Running program.

hmmmmmm wrote:

One team member got beat this week by a local runner in a big hilly (his speciality) 5K in Asheville, NC.

Would another top runner that made a world team on the track or road be handeled so easily over 5k in thier hometowns big race????

I assume you are referring to Shiloh losing to Stu Moran at Biltmore. That is a bit disingenuous calling Stu Moran a "local runner" as if he is just some local yokel. Stu is a British national, not an American, who also just happens to have placed 8th in the 10k at the UK Track Championships this summer and who ran 14:13 for 5k and 31:13 in pouring rain track 10k this season.

The best road and track racers don't necessarily make good mountain runners. There is overlap, sure, but not as much as you might think.