CARLSBAD, Calif. (March 22, 2018) – A race
renowned for fast runners and world records once again welcomes a stellar field
for the elite invitational at the 33rd annual Carlsbad 5000 on Sunday, March
25, 2018. Leading the way will be a world class field of elite athletes ready
to run a fast time along the scenic oceanfront streets in downtown Carlsbad.
The spring running season is in full swing as a
contingent of international runners will travel to the event, known as the
‘World's Fastest 5K’ road race as the home of 16 world records, 8 U.S. records
and 11 world wheelchair bests. Race day begins at 6:58 am with the Masters
Men (40 years old and over), the first of six races to take place throughout
the day. The women's elite race will begin at 10:15 am and the men's elite race
is scheduled for 10:40 am.
Saturday’s Junior Carlsbad will kick off a weekend
of family fun, hosting a morning of kids’ races as a precursor to the main
event Sunday morning. Both events will feature post-race refreshments, prizes,
live entertainment and a free outdoor Health & Fitness Expo that will run
throughout the two days of exercise and excitement.
“The Carlsbad 5000 is the premiere 5k road race in
the world and we are guaranteed new champions this year as both 2017 winners
are unavailable to compete,” said Matthew Turnbull, elite athlete
coordinator for the event. “To stand on top of the podium at the Carlsbad 5000
is a great honor and on Sunday morning two new athletes will be joining some of
the greatest athletes of all time who have their names engraved on the Mike
Long Trophy.”
Sweden’s Kalle Berglund, the national
record holder for 1500m who recently represented his country at the IAAF World
Indoor Championships last month, and Denmark’s Nick Jensen, a
7-time National Champion over 800m and 1500m, headline the men’s field for the
elite invitational which will take place at 10:45am.
The Europeans will be joined by a pair of
Berlund’s countrymen, Johan Rogestedt, a former Youth
World Champion over 800m who is making his 5k debut, and Emil Blomberg,
who has an 8:32.27 personal best for the Steeplechase and ran a 1500m best
indoors earlier this year.
Pushing the Swedish contingent will be Ethiopia’s Gebrekidan
Abadi and Americans Louis Seferini, who recently
became the 514th U.S. athlete to break 4 minutes in the mile, running 3:59.33
at the Boston University Last Chance meet, Dan Nestor, who
ran a 3.55 road mile in Boulder and 29.50 over 10km cross country at the end of
last year and Samuel Atkin, a two-time NAIA Champion who has a
personal best of 13.56 from the Silicon Valley Turkey Trot last year.
The women's field for Carlsbad is equally as
competitive. Emelia Gorecka of Great Britain, will look to continue
the recent success for U.K. runners including 2014 Champion Julia Bleasdale.
Gorecka was a 2013 European Junior Champion over 3000m and has a 5000m best of
15:07. Her top challengers include Jessica O’Connell, who represented
Canada at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and finished was 4th in Carlsbad in
2015. They will be joined by Mexico’s Brenda Flores Munoz, a gold and
silver medal from the 2015 Pan Am Gameswho owns a 15.30.87 personal best for
5000m.
Top Americans will be joining the field on the
women's side led by Sarah Brown, a nine-time track
and cross country All-American at the University of Tennessee and Alycia
Cridebring, who has a personal best of 15.35.34 for 5000m.
Other notables in the elite invitational include a trio of local triathetes: Ellie
Abrahamson, a NCAA D1 All-American at Wake Forest University;
Carlsbad’s Mary Alex England, who has a 5K best of 16.10; and Sophie Chase
who ran 16.19.77 for 5000m at the Stanford Cardinal Classic last year. Chelsey Totten
and Natasha
La Beaud round out the American entrants.
While hosting the "World's Fastest 5K"
for elite athletes, the Carlsbad 5000 welcomes runners and walkers of all ages
and abilities to a series of four competitive age group races. The event is
renowned for its scenic course, healthy competition and a weekend of fun for
participants of all ages and skill levels. Kicking off the weekend of family
fun is the Junior Carlsbad, which takes place Saturday, March 24 and offers 9
different races specifically designed for kids age 12 and under.
Race weekend registration is available for all
events. A free outdoor Health & Fitness Expo takes place on race weekend,
running from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday and 6:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday. The
expo will serve as race registration headquarters on Saturday, allowing
participants to pick up their race number, timing chip, t-shirt and goodie bag.
The interactive expo, located on Roosevelt Street between Grand and Carlsbad
Village Drive, will feature vendors showcasing running apparel and shoes,
fitness gear and health and nutrition items.
-- Elite Rosters Follow --
Number, name,
country, Bio, Birthday
51 Kalle Berglund Sweden Kale is National record
holder for 1500m Indoors, 03/11/1996
52 Nick Jensen Denmark 7 times National Champion
over 800m and 1500m, 1/17/1991
53 Gebre Abadi Ethiopia Won the 2018 Carlsbad
Marathon in January, 10/07/1984
54 Johan Rogestedt, Sweden Debut. Former Youth
World Champion over 800m, 01/27/1993
55 Emil Blomberg Sweden Has an 8.32.27 personal
best for the 3000m Steeplechase, 04/09/1992
56 Dan Nestor USA, last year Ran a 3.55 road mile
in Boulder and 29.50 over 10km cross country, 7/09/1993
57 Samuel Atkin USA, NAIA Champion over 3000m and
twice again over 5000m, 03/14/1993
58 Olle Hesselbjerg, Denmark 7 times national
Steeplechase champion, 04/23/1990
59 Elmar Engholm, Sweden National record holder
for the mile indoors, 10/02/1992
60 CJ Albertson, USA, Arizona State University
graduate Has a 13.50.24 best for 5000m
61 Louis Seferini, USA, Recently became the 514th
American to break 4 minutes in the mile, 9/20/1991
1 Emelia Gorecka, Great Britain, 2013 European
Junior Champion over 3000m, 1/29/1994
3 Jessica O’Connell, Canada, finished 4th at the Carlsbad
5000 in 2015 and has a best 5000 of 15.06.44, 2/10/1989
4 Brenda Flores Munoz, Mexico, Gold and silver
medalist from the 2015 Pan Am Games and a 15.30.87 best for 5000m, 9/04/1991
5 Alycia Cridebring, USA, PB of 15.35.34 for 5000m
set in Portland, 2016, 1/11/1992
6 Chelsey Totten, USA, Has a best 5000m of 15.53
set at Stanford Invitational in 2017, 11/21/1994
7 Ellie Abrahamson, USA, Triathlete was a NCAA
All-American at Wake Forest and ran 5000m best of 16.01 last year, 1/11/1995
8 Mary Alex England, USA, Has a 5K best of 16.10.
Selected for the USA Triathlon Elite Development Squad, 1/03/1994
9 Natasha La Beaud, USA, Has a 5000m road best of
16.14 from the 2014 Carlsbad 5000, 8/05/1987
10 Sophie Chase, USA, Ran 16.19.77 for 5000m at
the Stanford Cardinal Classic last year, 11/15/1994
11 Emily Myers, USA, A NCAA All-American at
University of Nevada in the Steeplechase 2017, 05/23/1994
About the
Carlsbad 5000
The 33rd running of the Carlsbad 5000
annually attracts amateur, competitive and professional runners from around the
world. Known as the ‘World's Fastest 5K’ road race, the event is home of the
current world 5K road records: 13:00, Sammy Kipketer (KEN), 2000 & 2001,
and 14:46, Meseret Defar (ETH), 2006. Race day begins at 6:58am with the
Masters Men 40 and over, the first of six races that will take place throughout
the morning. The elite invitational races, featuring the world's fastest
professional athletes, begin at 10:15am.
Event weekend kicks off with a Junior Carlsbad
pre-registration party on Friday, March 23 hosted at the Carlsbad Village
Faire. On Saturday, March 24 more than 1,500 junior racers, age 12 and under,
will take part in one of the nine age group throughout the morning crossing the
same finish line as the professional field on Sunday.
All runners receive a t-shirt
and finisher’s medal for their efforts. Sunday’s ‘Party by the Sea’ gets
started as soon as the first runners cross the finish line. After enjoying the
scenic 3.1-mile course, runners aged 21 and over can step into the beer garden,
sip two free beers from Pizza Port and enjoy live music. For more information
or to view the full race day schedule, visit runrocknroll.com/carlsbad-5000
or follow @Carlsbad5000
on Instagram.