RHS Alumnus Justin Young Places 4th

RHS Alumnus Justin Young

Places 4th at US 10 mile Championships

Former Knight great Justin Young participated in the Papa John's 10 Miler/USA Men's Championship on April 10. Conditions for the race held in Louisville, Kentucky were near perfect at 52 degrees for the 5,500 participating runners. Young, 24, currently living and training in Boulder, Colorado toured the 10 mile course in 47:21 claiming 4th place. Winning the national championship including its $10,000 prize money was 2004 Olympic marathoner Dan Browne of Portland, Ore. in 46:32.

The lead pack of 12 ran 4:28 at the mile mark and held strong through 2 miles at 9:02. However at three miles (13:44) the front pack was down to Browne, the defending USA 10 Mile Champion Chris Graff , 2003 USA 5K Champ Henry Dennis, 2003 USA Marathon and Half-Marathon Champion Ryan Shay and Young, each of whom repeatedly made moves to break away from the others.

Browne noted that "there was always a point when someone was willing to take the lead." Graff commented, "one guy would push up the hills and another would push through the crest and yet another would push the down-hill. No one could hold the lead for more than 200 meters during the first six miles."

At five miles the pack remained intact in 23:18. The competitors stayed close through the eighth mile which was turned in 4:41. At that point Browne followed by Graff less than two steps behind separated themselves from Shay, Young and Dennis. Browne ran a 4:32 ninth mile, to put himself in charge, nine seconds ahead. Browne finished the race with a USA Men's Championship record of 46:32 breaking Graff's 47:09 set in the 2003 race.

Browne, who was the 2003 Pan Am Games 10,000 meter bronze medalist, ran the fastest 10 mile performance by a U.S. male since 1991.

This race was a part of the 2004 USA Running Circuit, a USA Track & Field national championship road series. This year USARC offers $818,700 in guaranteed prize money. For information: http://www.usatf.org/

Results of the Papa John's 10 Miler: USA Men's Championship
Louisville, KY, Saturday, April 10, 2004

1) Dan Browne, 28, Portland, OR      46:32# $10,000
2) Chris Graff, 28, Palo Alto, CA    47:02   $5,000
3) Ryan Shay, 24, East Jordan, MI    47:11   $2,500
4) Justin Young, 24, Boulder, CO      47:21   $2,000
5) Brian Sell, 25, Rochester Hills, MI      47:23   $1,500
6) Henry Dennis, 29, Cincinnati, OH          47:31   $1,000
7) Teren Jameson, 26, Salt Lake City, UT      47:35     $900
8) Teddy Mitchell, 32, Albuquerque, NM    47:38     $800
9) Peter Gilmore, 26, Menlo Park, CA    47:41     $700
10) Matt Thull, 29, Milwaukee, WI    47:46     $600
11) Scott Strand, 36, Birmingham, AL    47:52     $500
12) Clint Verran, 28, Rochester Hills, MI      47:53     $400
13) Trent Briney, 25, Rochester Hills, MI      48:45     $300
14) Nic Crider, 27, Louisville, KY    48:47     $200
15) Sean Nesbitt, 29, Boulder, CO      48:50     $100

#USA Championship Record (previous record Chris Graff, 47:09, Papa John's
2003)

For full results and more: www.papajohns.com/louisville/index.htm