Team RunnersConnect runs strong around the world in race distances from 5k to 50k and brings in 19 Personal Bests

Matthew Stewart ran the Sri Chinmoy 50K and finished this distance in the time of 3.35.45. This was a personal record by 4:50.

Took out 1st place in the Sri Chinmoy 50k in beautiful Hagley Park in Christchurch, New Zealand. Definitely a new experience for me running a multiple loop course (try 25 times 2km). A beautiful sunrise and perfect running conditions; still, cool and overcast till the last 45 minutes when the sun broke through. I started off the first lap slow and eased into my pace with a couple of the guys doing the 100k (yes, they were running my 50k pace for double the distance!) felt really good and effortless till the 22km mark then it was a bit of an effort to keep the pace up. The muscle fatigue really kicked in at 44km and I slowed down as cramp bit in my hamstrings on the very slight uphill in the course.

My time was a PR of 4 minutes and 50 seconds over my 50k last year, which was in a one loop race with bigger numbers and more crowd support so I really happy with today’s result as I ran solo and out front for the entire race.

Michael Jacque ran the Orange County Marathon and finished with a time of 10:24.

At Big Sur only goal was to finish and I stayed around 10min pace and then had negative splits at the end and finished strong.

Anna Squicciarini ran the New Jersey Half Marathon and finished in a time of 1:41:06. This was a PR by 1 minute 45 seconds!

This was a great race. I was hoping to get to an official 1:40:XXX and I missed it by 6 seconds, but I am still happy of how it went.

I managed to stay strong until the finish line, I did a strong fast finish (last mile was 7:21! first mile was 7:53!) and I just enjoyed it all around. This training cycle was hard and I felt challenged almost to the point of quitting on many workouts. I had so many doubts on my abilities. But it paid off, not only with time, but on how I felt strong all throughout the race. I kept thinking of all the cutdown, tempo and fast finish runs I did over this winter, and it all came together. Next up, I will break 1:40! 🙂

Ramona Dragnea ran the Pony Express Marathon with a finishing time of 4:46:51.

I was so ready to run a good marathon—all the training went great, I was healthy, rested, well hydrated, not injured. Ready. Except for the weather was not on my side and it got hot too quickly. A perfect first 16 miles and the spike in temperature quickly got to my to an almost pass out at mile 20 forcing me to walk the rest of the race in 86F.

In better conditions, I know I could have run a solid race. And RC has been part of this adventure — coach Danny, thank you so much for adjusting my schedule and overseeing my training this cycle, I have never felt more confident and ready to toe the line; Jamie — you have the greatest heart and you are such an inspiration for the running community; Michael — the master of speed tickets and tips on staying on track in training; Sarah — the queen of perfection in running and best motivator; Tina — an inspiration for striving to best yourself through hard work and having fun at the same time; and last but not least, the very supportive RC running community spread out in all corners of the world yet all speaking the same crazy language called running.

Bryan Brousseau ran the Kentucky Derby Marathon and finished with a time of 4:55:03.

It was disappointing not to improve from my last marathon. There were hills at about the 12-14mile mark. I felt like I had used a lot of energy on them. Then from miles 18-26 my pace had gotten slower. It felt like an energy thing and less like a muscle fatigue issue. My legs felt tired but okay after the race and the day after.

Leah Sandkuhl ran the BMO Vancouver Marathon and finished the race event in the time of 4:08.

This was my first marathon, and I LOVED it. This was Vancouver’s 45th marathon and I turn 45 this month. I ran the Vancouver half (first half) 23 years ago. With my injury, I chose to walk through every aid station and I am alive and walking…I am happy with my time considering I was coming in with an injury. I can’t wait to do another one!!!!

Jenny Russ ran the The North Face Endurance Challenge 50K in 10:08:10, which was a PR!

This was my first ultramarathon (50K = 30.9 miles). I still cannot remember why I choose one of the most technical and challenging 50K races at the east coast for my first ultra. However, I took up the challenge and made it through. I am proud that I came in last, because I actually made it. For now I have to do more hiking and run on rougher terrain to get used to these technical courses at the east coast. I also was not ready for 68 degrees, lots of sunshine and high humidity. This made it hard to breath when going up all those inclines. So I have to get better at running as much uphill as possible. But more training will help with this. The organization, course marking and aid stations were superb. The volunteers were really great. If you really want to challenge yourself, do one of those North Face Endurance Challenge races.

Pam Carr ran the Dyslexia Dash 5k and finished in a time of 22:20.

I ran the 1 miles fun run with Katie my 6 year old prior to running the 5k. She finished in 12:10. So proud of her. The 5k didn’t start until 8:30. It was already 74 degrees when it started. It was a little to hot for a new PR.

Cody Rickert ran the Nashville Rock & Roll Half-Marathon and finished in 1:30:15, which was a massive PR by 19 minutes 30 seconds.

This was my second half ever and I was happy with the result despite a fairly hilly course and the rain. It’s nice to see improvement after training so hard. This race was special also because two close friends ran their first marathons and both BQ’d. I am looking forward to a great summer of training and taking a shot at sub 3:05 come September at the “Last Chance BQ” race.

Josh Wede ran the New Jersey Marathon and finished with a time of 3:19:58, which was a PR!

My inaugural marathon. Overall I was pleased with the results. Conditions weren’t ideal (temp in low to mid 40s, rain and some wind) – but at least it wasn’t hot! I started off strong, hitting my goal paces. At one point (about mile 14), I saw the 3:10 pace group about 0.5 mile ahead and ‘visions of Boston danced in my head.’ But it wasn’t to be. A few stretches against the wind and my mind resigned to the fact that I wasn’t going to make it. Around mile 18-19 things started to get mentally challenging and I just couldn’t push through. But there were many positives to take away and I have no doubt I can improve the next time out…after a bit of time to let this sore body recover!!

Diana Cano ran the BMO Vancouver Marathon and finished this race in the time of 5:15:59.

The race was spectacular with beautiful landscapes and views. Since 7am the sun was so hard, the race started at 8:30 everything was perfect as planned I passed half marathon in 2:13 with pace adjusted because of the hot day. Then a very long hill it was so difficult and then another. As the time went by the sun was even worst no trees no shadow no nothing I had to stop in every hydration post to take water. So I decided to slow down the pace and continue to finish it. Not my best time at all I did not even expect to run in those conditions but I’m so proud of myself because I could get to the finish line in a very good condition. Than you so much specially to my Coach Danny, than you Coach Sarah for cheer me up and Coach Michael and all Runnersconnect Community you’re such an amazing people.

David Koren ran the Toronto Goodlife Fitness Marathon and finished in a time of 3:20:04. This was a new personal record by 5 minutes 47 seconds.

PR and finally BQ! Very strong head wind the last 8k which was tough, plus rain the whole time. I was feeling strong, started slower and run the second half pretty good, with the exception of the very last section when I couldn’t increase my pace (blaming the wind).

Luis Enriquez ran the Flying Pig Marathon with a finishing time of 2:18:14.

This was a nice race since I ran it celebrating my best friend’s 40th birthday. My time was very bad because I injured my calf last week and I ran like this, so the objective was to finish the race. And I did it.

Dawn Clare ran the Borneo International Half Marathon and completed this distance in the time of 1:57:38.

I was just getting into running for a second time when I got tendonitis of the hamstring and archilles again. I have been very cautious and afraid to run for some months for fear of injuring myself further or making the latter worse. I joined runners connect and finally understood some of the mistakes I have been making which have lead to injury.

It didn’t feel right running at a slow easy pace but I put my trust in the advice provided in my plan. Running slow and easy has meant my injuries are healing and I absolutely enjoy the slower pace having always gone full out.

During the race I enjoyed everything about it until the last five kms which were a challenge to say the least. I am so glad I finished and I am very happy that although my heal is sore, it is mild to what it has been so it looks like I am almost fully recovered and running safely. Thanks for the support.

Erhan Sirin ran the Vodafone Istanbul Half Marathon, finishing this distance in the time of 1:44:42. This was a personal record by 11 minutes.

This the fastest HM in Turkey. Thé course is approved by IAAF with bronze medal as nice, flat and quality”. Before I participated in RC, Ä° always dreamed about being there to run. My PR was 1:55:23, and was achieved during the workouts, not thru a real race. Therefore the race was my actual first HM and the fastest of me. I felt very comfortable and no problem at all. During the first 10K I kept my pace around 5:00 and after the 16K point I increased my speed gradually. When I finished it, it opened my horizon positively and decided to run Marathon.

Louis Marchand ran the Vancouver Marathon and finished with a time of 3:09:56.0. This was a PR by 6 minutes 13 seconds.

I’m so happy!! I really gave everything in the last km to get a sub 3:10 chrono… HR was @ max – 179! I should finally get my BQ with this time – 3:15 for my age category. Weather was perfect and the course literally astonished me by its beauty definitely the most beautiful race I ever ran. Thanks to the coaches and all RC community for your support.

Tony Pallotta ran the Broad Street Run 10 Miles and completed this distance in the time of 1:17:25, which was a PR!

Longest distance I ever raced and first time running a big event (over 40,000 runners). Steady cold rain the entire event but good to run in. My second race using RC and I’m amazed at how the training cycles translate into great race times. I exceeded my expectations by a couple of minutes. Ran the second mile at 7:32 (too fast) but reigned in the pace to run a slight negative split. 3 mile pace was 7:53, 5 mile pace was 7:48, 7 mile pace was 7:50, and overall pace was 7:44. Last 3 miles at 7:32 pace so I finished strong and felt strong throughout. Very pleased with my progress.

Tang Trang ran the Mississauga Marathon and finished with a time of 3:56:21. This was a huge personal record by 23 minutes.

Rainy, windy and cold. It is my first marathon after an accident last year. Happy with the PB!

Simeon Bayles ran the Red Hook Crit 5k and finished in a time of 19:55, which was a 30 seconds PR!

Great event. It was a 1k loop run 5x in between the qualifying heats and feature event of a fixed gear bike race on the same course. There were free cowbells being handed out around the race and that combined with lots of good food and beer had the crowd fired up for the 715pm (Sunset) start. So much easier to race hard with people cheering literally at every point. The downside was getting lapped despite running a PR… But this happens on a 1k loop when the winner is running a 14:30 5k. 2/2 on Race goals so far this spring. Wanted to get under 20 minutes here and ran an even controlled race to do so. Have my next race this Wednesday… a three mile hill climb. Goal there is to finish under 30 minutes.

Michael Beavers ran the Illinois Marathon 10k with a finishing time of 54:50.

This was my 1st 10K. It went really well. It rained the entire race but to be honest once the race started I don’t recall thinking about it. I had hoped for a time between 0:55 min. and 1 hr. so, finishing in 54:50 min. felt pretty good. I used my RC training and followed the race plan. I started out very conservative at 9:30/mile (actually I started out at 8:20/mi. caught up in the adrenaline rush and had to slow down a lot) and planned to increase my time every mile if I thought I could. I was able to do negative splits every mile!

At about mile 2, I found that I didn’t like running with the pack and instead I started picking out people and reeling them in. I got close then surged past then dropped back to my normal pace. That worked very well for me. I felt very strong whenever I did this and never did anyone challenge me. I had expected things to start to get a little tougher at mile 4 and yes, I started to feel it, but I knew it was coming and was mentally prepared for it. I even had enough left to sprint to the finish.

There is no way I could have done this well without the RC coaches and advice, and the encouragement from my friends here at RC and the support of my wife. You guys are awesome!

Doug Twyman ran the New Jersey Half Marathon and finished this race in the time of 1:26:41.

Ran consistent and strong at the end, rainy conditions made it a little tough but the temps and wind were manageable.

Jeff Wettig ran the Flying Pig Half Marathon and finished in a time of 1:59:24.

Hometown races are always fun – the whole running group is involved, you see friends running, friends cheering you on, and being part of the hype all week are things you tend not to have on out-of-town races. However, Cinci races tend to be tuff because of the hills and bridges. Being familiar with the race, I was able to pretty well plan for the hills and leverage the declines to recupe or make up time. However, the weather was exceptionally different than expected – instead of rain and a pleasant 60’s, it was a hot, humid low 80’s. Lots of heat stroke issues along the way, and caused me some issues as well.

I missed my objective by about 2 minutes, which is fine, but what I found real exciting was my last 3 mile kick – most of my recent races I’ve had very strong kicks at the end of the race. Next up are back-to-back half’s late May, Bayshores and North Mitten.

Scott Schoenborn ran the Eugene Marathon and finished with a time of 03:45:17. This was a personal record by 3 minutes 40 seconds.

This was my first marathon in Eugene, Oregon. Eugene is a wonderful course to run. I was disappointed to not qualify for Boston, but will try to not be too disappointed with a new PR of 03:45:17. I really came into this race feeling tired. I had about 5 weeks of no-running from a bad flu in February that turned into pneumonia needing antibiotics and even 5 days of steroids at the end to reduce inflammation. Looking back now I think I pushed too hard to get back on track after that episode.. finishing the training with the volume of running on my schedule, but feeling physically and mentally tired. Today I tried to keep a conservative start and held a steady 07:56 through about 17 miles.. but could tell it wasn’t going to be a good day.. my paced ballooned to 8:33 by the end of the race. It was a perfect weather day early, but was pretty warm (by Oregon standards) by the finish. My wife and daughter were down for a “Mom’s Weekend” so they could cheer me on at the half-way point. Thanks for all the encouragement from the coaches and friends here at RC. I will continue to train for a BQ.

Bethany Martin ran the Dr. Gann’s Diet of Hope Cinco De Mayo 5k Run and finished with a time of 38:24, which was a PR!

This is the first race I’ve done since prior to developing serious health issues 6 years ago which forced me to stop working out entirely. So I’m just happy I finished. Running the entire race and finishing in less than 40 minutes were second and third goals. Meeting all three is just gravy!

Verna Brock ran the Pony Express Marathon and finished this distance in the time of 4:18:15.

I knew that with the hot temps predicted and full sun for most of the course, a sub 4 hour race probably wasn’t going to happen, but I was hoping to at least finish before my Dec CIM time (4:12). My training cycle (my first with RC) went SO well. I only missed one run in the last 18 or so weeks, and I nailed all my long runs and speed workouts, logging something like 535 miles over the last 4 months. For CIM I logged something like 375, so this was a huge increase, and I felt great going into the race, no nagging pains.

Anyway, I figured I should try to stay on pace for the first part of the race while it was still relatively cool out. I felt good for about 10 miles, and I was pacing myself well. When I passed the mile 11 mark, I saw my pace had slowed by about 15 seconds and was surprised. I realized that I was working harder than I should be this early in the race. I decided I needed to just pace myself by feel from that point on, and focused on meeting my friend at mile 16, who was waiting with a replacement iced water bottle. Seeing her provided a temporary morale boost. The next 8 miles was me wrestling with wanting to drop vs. wanting the cool medal. At that point, I told myself I could walk if I needed to, but I had to finish. My quads felt like bricks. But I reeled in those last few miles. I was still 6th in my AG. I think that is a testament to the effects of the heat on everyone.

Suffice to say I am disappointed that the weather didn’t cooperate today, but I know that’s how it goes sometimes. At least I got through it, didn’t injure myself, and I learned something: for spring marathons, do a lot of training after work when it’s a little warmer! I like to run in the morning, so the bulk of my training was in 45-55 degree weather, and in the dark. Lesson learned.

Kathy Balme ran the Mississauga Half Marathon and completed this race event in the time of 1:56:33.

This was a tune-up for a full which is coming up in 4 weeks. I had hoped to do better by at least 2 to 4 minutes, however, my legs were tired. The weather wasn’t bad, rain and cool (which I like), until the last 5 or 6k or so, and then, just as I was feeling particularly tired, we turned right into a fairly strong wind. So, it’s not even close to a PB (which is 1:49 for me), but I didn’t expect to get one today. I was using this as a training run. I guess I have more training to do! 🙂

Tony Malinauskas ran the BattleFrog Obstacle Course Race 8k, finishing this distance in the time of 1:40:56.

I missed the weekly race report link the past few weeks, but had to report this important race even though is was on Apr 9 because I came in 1st in my Age Group (and 25th overall for all Open Division runners), which qualified me for the Obstacle Course Racing World Championship this Fall. I was particularly anxious about getting qualified this year because they made the qualification criteria stricter for 2016.

Susan Linz ran the Nashville Rock n Roll Half Marathon and finished in a time of 2:30:32.

About a week after I joined RC, I ran the New Orleans RnR Half; heat and humidity contributed to disappointing time, especially since it was a flat course. The Nashville RnR Half represents a couple of months of RC training … and a time reduction of 9 minutes (for the same distance of 13.34) … over a course that was quite hilly, even in that last mile or so. Even tho this race was not a PR, it was special because it shows me what RC training program can do.

Tony Malinauskas ran the Flying Pig Half Marathon and finished this race event in the time of 1:54:19. This was a personal record by 6:04.

I’ve finally gotten into the “Sub 2:00:00 HM Club!” This is the 3rd year I’ve run this race; two years ago I was just 46 seconds over 2hrs, so I aimed at breaking 2hrs last year. I ended up being over by 23 seconds! I’m surprised and happy to have improved so much more this year.

Edward Sum ran the Mississauga Marathon and finished with a time of 3:14:26, which was a PR by 4 minutes.

It was a tough race where we had to battle wind and rain for the entire time. I was aiming for 3:10, but due to GI issues, I had to go to the bathroom twice and lost valuable time, about 2 to 2.5 min in the first half. Despite all that, I was able to get a PR of 3:14 and beat my previous time by 4 minutes and I was very happy. Very strong headwind from 10 to 16k and from 30k all the way to the end, and it was right off the lake too (the waves were pretty to look at but I wasn’t there for the scenery going for a PR!). A very special race as it was a comeback race for me since my injury last fall. Thanks to Coach Casey for helping me rebuild my mileage gradually the past few months and thanks to Coach Jeff (during Casey’s absence) for taking over and challenging me with numerous workouts in this training cycle.

Junko Kosugi ran the BMO Vancouver Marathon 8k and finished this distance in the time of 36:40, which was a 17 seconds PR!

Great feeling! I could not do much speed training for Boston due to injuries since February, but I wanted to be a part of BMO Vancouver Marathon because this is the largest race in Western Canada. I would say that this was a super big PR because my previous PR was from 5 years ago when I weighed 10 lb less but I beat that time by 17 seconds!! I finished in 2nd out of 148 in my age category, 13th out of 1533 in gender. I pushed hard and thought that my lungs would jump out from my chest but it was worth it. My husband was running half today and I woke up at 5am for his 7am start and cheered him on the course. It was a long day ! I am ready for a few drinks now. I deserve it!

Rooney Kelly ran the Dundas Valley Conservation Park Trail run and finished with a time of 1:20:14.

I ran a 12.3 km Trail race on Saturday, April 30th and it was a technical and hilly course. I really enjoyed this run because it was beautiful and everybody supported one another through the more challenging aspects of the route. There was a lot of single file walking up steep hills arm to runner’s shoulder in front. I think runners are the best. I am also extremely appreciative of the fact that I could run because I have and continue to struggle with some injuries that just won’t take the hint.

David Bruinooge ran the NJ Marathon with a finishing time of 3:22:33. This was a new personal record by 4 minutes.

Fought off a groin cramp from miles 20-23 and finished strong. Running a PR in the conditions we had was a success. Windy, rain, and cold. Overall pleased with the performance and happy with Danny’s coaching and the Runners Connect program. I’ve seen the results…and I’ve tried everything from stock programs to RunSmartProject, etc

Amanda Eisenhart ran the Pittsburgh Half Marathon and finished in 01:48:19, which was a PR by 00:04:31.

I was very nervous about this race because this training cycle was so different for me; I was a little unsure of where I’d be pace-wise. Once you toe the start line of a pretty big race, though, surrounded by runners of all experience and paces, it’s just an amazing feeling. I always feel a part of something special.

I pushed this race and gave it everything I had. Pittsburgh is quite a hilly course, so I am really proud of this PR considering the weather (it rained for the first 30 mins or so and was very humid with temps in the high 50s-low 60s) and the course. It really amazes me that I took 4+ minutes off of my half time in just four months; how awesome!

I felt really great in the race until about mile 7 or 8; at that point, I honestly wasn’t sure if I was going to make it, and a lot of people from the running group to which I belong said the same thing! Once I hit mile 10, I remembered the steady state + fast finish long run combo that I had less than a month ago and trusted that I could finish the last 3 miles (much of it uphill). I pushed this race hard, and I am very proud of the results. I know I can only continue to keep becoming a better run with each run and each race.

Stacy Thomas ran the CrazyLegs Classic 5 Mile and completed the distance in the time of 37:19, which was a PR by 1:57.

I did my normal pre-race routine and felt really good. Mile 1 was much faster than I planned to run so I decided to just “see what I could do” even though I knew from running this race previously (every year since 2010 except last year) that there were killer hills in miles 2 and 4.

Ended up with almost a minute PR and a 5K PR within the 5 mile race. Thanks RC for all of your support.

Jon Daniells ran the Parkway Half Marathon and finished with a time of 1:53:15.

I was focused on running to my plan and coming in below 1:55. The race plan was executed spot on, which made me happy. This is one step on the path of getting me back to my PR range of 1:45, which I did in 2012. Next step is the San Diego RnR in 5 weeks, want to get down to 1:50.

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