Team USA set for International Chiba Ekiden
INDIANAPOLIS –Team USA will compete Wednesday in the 2011 International Chiba Ekiden. The 23rd annual event will be in Chiba, Japan, and, in addition to Team USA, the marathon relay will feature teams from nine nations including host team Japan, Kenya, Poland, Russia, Australia and Canada.
 
The Team USA squad will be led by a pair of U.S. champions from the 2011 USA Running Circuit. Janet Cherobon-Bawcom (Rome, Ga.), the USA champion in the 20 km, 10 Mile and 10 km races, headlines the team along with USA Men’s 8 km champion Bobby Mack (Raleigh, N.C.).
 
The 2011 team will also feature 2009 USA Cross Country champion Emily Brown (Minneapolis, Minn.) and 2010 USA 5 km champion Robert Cheseret (Colorado Springs, Colo.). Rounding out the team will be Wendy Thomas (Windsor, Colo.), Christo Landry (Ann Arbor, Mich.), Josh Moen (Minneapolis, Minn.) and Alisha Williams (Colorado Springs, Colo.).
 
The race features mixed teams of men and women running six alternating legs totaling 42.195 km as follows: 1st leg, Men 5 km; 2nd leg, Women 5 km; 3rd leg, Men 10 km; 4th leg, Women 5 km; 5th leg, Men 10 km; 6th leg, Women 7.195 km. Team USA finished fifth in the event last year.
 
For more information on the 2011 Chiba International Ekiden visit www.usatf.org.