Mar. 26, 2014
For immediate release
Top individuals, teams compete for Pacific Association honors
A race within a race promises to unfold in the fourth annual Credit Union SACTOWN Ten-Mile Run on April 6.
The event, put on by the Sacramento Running Association and sponsored by local credit unions, helps raise money for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, including UC Davis Children’s Hospital.
And while the event’s defending champions — Olympian Kim Conley and two-time men’s winner Tesfaye Alemayehu – are expected to run at the front in their races, the battles just behind them will take on a distinct regional flair.
The race, which begins at 8 a.m., serves as USA Track and Field’s Pacific Association 10-Mile Championship. Runners from throughout the Pacific Association, which stretches from the California-Oregon border to San Luis Obispo, are expected to compete for points and prize money.
Individuals and teams will earn points as part of a season-long competition. Top teams include the Sacramento Running Association’s Elite Team, the Asics Aggies, the Impala Racing Team and the River City Rebels.
“There’s a lot of really active clubs in Northern California that run the Grand Prix circuit,” said SRA Technical Director Kevin Pool, who manages the SRA Elite Team and also competes for it.
“SACTOWN is a double points race. That attracts some of the best competition of the year.”
The race’s $15,000 purse includes $5,900 for the Pacific Association Championship, with competition held in Open, Masters, Seniors, Super Seniors and Veterans divisions.
The Pacific Association oversees and administers region-wide programs for all ages in track and field, long distance running, and race walking. It is the largest USATF association, with 5,000 athlete members and more than 125 clubs.
The organization has hosted a wide array of championship track events, including the U.S. Olympic Trials, the NCAA Division I Outdoor Championships and the U.S. and World Masters Championships.
“We are excited to host the 2014 Pacific Association 10-mile championship again this year,” SACTOWN race director Michelle La Sala said. “Many of northern California’s best runners and clubs will be competing on our flat and fast course.”
The SACTOWN course, which winds through midtown and East Sacramento, starts and finishes at the state Capitol.
Registration is $50 online until 11:59 p.m. on April 5 at www.sactown10.org. Runners can also sign up for a three-person relay for $120 per team. Race-day registration is available for $60 and $130.
A Miracle Mile for kids 13 and under is free for anyone registering by April 4 at 11:59 p.m. and $10 at packet pickup and on race day.
Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals is an affiliation of children’s hospitals throughout the country. Each year these non-profit hospitals provide state-of-the-art care, cutting edge research and preventative health education.
Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals treat more than 17 million patients each year, including 98 percent of all children needing heart or lung transplants and 88 percent of all children with cancer.
The Credit Union SACTOWN Ten-Mile Run helped raise more than $180,000 last year for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.
The Sacramento Running Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to finding ways to encourage people of all ages and abilities to run. The SRA is committed to developing new, quality running events that appeal to a broad variety of runners.