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Category:Video game websitesAs the next wave of USATF Masters championships rolls through the States, we've got an early preview of the men's race, with a look at the top 8.
The men's 30k in Newport, Rhode Island kicks off the Masters festivities, and while there are several names on the entry list that are set to compete at an incredibly high level, there are also a handful of athletes who will be making the journey to Newport to attempt to punch their ticket to the USATF Masters Championships, which will take place next year.
Athletes like Tim Berne and Ali Krieger, two of the top American middle-distance runners this year, are not in the top eight, and are instead opening their championship year off at the Tower Hill 25k (23:50 for the full course).
At the top of the list, however, is 2012 champion Drue Pearce (40-year-old, three-time Olympian, and former USATF record holder in the 3000 meters). A true legend in the middle-distance world, Pearce won the race in 2013, and has been on the USATF radar since he moved back to the US after spending time overseas.
Pearce won the world title in 2011, but was forced to miss the 2012 Olympics, as well as 2013 due to injury. He has returned to running in 2015, having spent the summer months focused on improving his fitness, and is set to compete in the USATF 10k championship in San Diego on Saturday.
While it's difficult to know how the race will play out, with a seasoned group of runners, Pearce may be facing an uphill battle to get back to the front of the pack. However, he has a record of success at New England races, having won the field in both the Falmouth Road Race in 2014 and the Revere in 2011. If he can get past his training partner Leif Reithel, who finished second at the Falmouth race last year and ran the Revere in 2011, Pearce could be right in the mix for a strong showing in Newport.
Here's a look at the rest of the top eight in the race:
1. Drue Pearce (2014 and 2013 Champion, 2010, 2009, 2007, 2003, 2001 & 1999 World bronze medalist, 2000 US national record holder in 800m) ac619d1d87
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