On Sunday, June 30, Owego will see one of the biggest gatherings of world-class athletes it has ever seen. Marvin Park will play host to the U.S. 40K National Race Walking Championships along with a chance for international athletes to chase time standards for the World Championships later this month in Doha, Qatar as well as for the 2020 Olympics in Tokoyo, Japan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDave and I have worked very hard to plan and organize a great even for athletes looking to reach their dreams, and Marvin Park is the perfect location for them to come achieve them! With the support of the Village and the Department of Public Works, we have a course that is one of the best in the United States, if not the world,\u201d said co-race Director Erin Talcott, of Owego, N.Y. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Racing around a One-Kilometer loop, athletes will race between five and 50 times around. Those athletes who are aiming for World Championship or Olympic times will compete in the 20-kilometer (12.4 miles) or 50 kilometer (31.1 miles). Athletes from the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Hungary, and Australia will all line up at 5:30 a.m. on Sunday, ready to race their best.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI am very excited to race on Sunday. I love the course; it is very fast and beautiful. The people of Owego are so friendly and nice,\u201d Said Anett Torma from Budapest, Hungary. Anett will be racing 50 kilometers, hoping to beat the world championship qualifying time of 4 hours and 30 minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Also attending the race is 2012 Olympic Gold Medalist in the men\u2019s 50-kilometer race walk – Jared Tallent from Canberra, Australia. Racing his first 50-kilometer race since the Rio Olympics (where he was the silver medalist), Jared is looking to qualify for the world championships and Olympics. If you want to come see an Olympic gold medalist head to Marvin Park Sunday morning, his finish time is anticipated to be between 9:15 and 9:30 a.m. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some of the best athletes in the U.S. will be vying for the title of national champion including Olympian Teresa Vail who was born and raised in Pine Bush, N.Y. and Owego resident Erin Talcott. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Talcott has 13 national titles to her name and would love to notch another championship on her belt. \u201cIt\u2019s always great to win a national title, but to do it in your hometown is truly special. I\u2019m so appreciative to Dave (Talcott, Erin\u2019s husband) and everyone who supports the event and makes it possible. The volunteers who come so early are absolutely amazing, we couldn\u2019t do it without them.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
On the men\u2019s side, defending champion AJ Gruttadauro, from Brockport, N.Y., is looking to continue to the 50-kilometer distance in hopes of attaining a world championship time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLast year AJ raced in Marvin Park and did the fastest 50K debut time of any U.S. male under 21 years old. He\u2019s so much stronger and faster this year and with his additional experience racing internationally I\u2019m really excited to see what he can do. His hard work and dedication to his sport are really paying off,\u201d said Erin Talcott, AJ\u2019s coach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The weather looks to be perfect, so come out and cheer some of the best in the U.S. and the world in Marvin Park this Sunday, June 30, starting at 5:30 a.m. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
On Sunday, June 30, Owego will see one of the biggest gatherings of world-class athletes it has ever seen. Marvin Park will play host to the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-73835","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-whats-happening"],"yoast_head":"\n