Racing News

NROC 10K Championships
Live blog

By Planet staff
Aug. 16 , 2009

12:25 | Jorge Botero interview: Powerslide's Jorge Botero had a game plan today. Keep the time for each lap below 36.7 seconds and set a new course record (breaking his own) on the John Rose Oval.

It went well. The first lap was 33 seconds and the next dozen were all below the target time, said Botero, a two-time world champion from Colombia.

For the most part, he was skating at the front of the lead pack, but after 13 laps (with 12.9 to go) he decided it was time to take off on his own.

"Even though the (lap) times were OK, I wanted to make sure I would win the race," he said. In other words, he wanted to make sure no one would pass him in the sprint.

He sped up, dropped the pack, and a few minutes later, lapped the field. At that point, he dropped in at the head of the lead pack. "I was tired. But it was OK because I was still going uder 36.7 seconds."

He said his final laps were between 34 to 35 seconds each.

He finished in 15 minutes, 9.9 seconds (unofficially), smashing his old record by 45 seconds.

He was 20 when he set the old course record in 1996. He's now 33.

Asked how he managed to break a record set by his younger self, he said, "It all depends on the race. Each race is different. Maybe back then we weren't racing for time. But today, I had time on my mind. ... The intensity was high today, so now I'm exhausted."

12:01 | New course record: Powerslide's Jorge Botero ... 15:09.9.

He beat his old record (15:55.30) by 45 seconds.

11:57 | Jorge wins ... record?: Powerslide's Jorge Botero wins the NROC 10K Championships with a time of ?

Big sprint for the finish: Adams Inline's David Sarmiento wins the sprint. ... Not sure about the rest.

11:50 | Jorge laps the field: Powerslide's Jorge Botero has lapped the field with seven laps left to go. He's leading the pack that he just passed.

11:48 | Going for the record?: Powerslide's Jorge Botero has a half lap lead with 12 laps to go. David Sarmiento in the lead of the chase pack. Other skaters near the front Chris Slocum, Norm Kirby and Tony Muse.

11:42 | Weather watch: The clouds are threatening to open up again. ... Jorge Botero is pushing the pace; making them hurt. Norm Kirby is second. Master skater Tony Muse is tucked in the pack.

11:39 | Open, master men: The final race — open and master pro men — is underway. Powerslide's Jorge Botero is at the head of the pack.

11:30 | Morgan Williams wins veterans: Morgan Williams skates the last several laps alone after a solo breakaway. He wins with a time of 17:28.29.

AloeUp's Herb Gayle is second.

(Bob Harwell falls but finishes the race.)

11:10 | Briana Kramer interview: Powerslide's Briana Kramer wasn't content with just winning today's 10K. She wanted to break Julie Glass' 15-year-old course record.

But she didn't think she could do that by sitting in the pack. So a few laps into the race on the John Rose Oval, she took off.

"I wanted to go for the record, so I just went for it," said Briana, a member of the U.S. World Team.

She pulled away from the pack and eventually lapped the field.

"The hardest part was mentally believing I could do it — and to keep going and not get scared," said the 17-year-old from Kissimmee, FL.

She finished with a time (unofficial) of 16 minutes, 53.54 seconds, which smashed the old record by 82 seconds.

Sarah Hopkins finished second, a lap behind Kramer.

11:10 | Briana Kramer wins: Powerslide's Brianna Kramer wins the women's 10K, lapping the field and apparently setting a new track record (16:53.54).

10:35 | The women's race has started.

10:05 | While we're waiting, here's a nice album of pics from Saturday's Minnesota Half Marathon, posted by tourdephoto.

9:45 | Sun is shining. Track is drying. "My guess is it's going to dry up really fast," says Adam Bradley of Adams Inline.

9:21 | Just talked to Powerslide's Jorge Botero. He's concerned about whether the track will dry enough for racing. He says the smooth cement of the Oval makes it very slippery when wet.

"They say it will be dry in 30 minutes," he said. "But I don't know. There has been rain off and on."

Asked about his course record, he said he set it during an event that was part of a 1996 race series, possibly organized by Rollerblade. "Actually, I just barely remember it. It was a long time ago."

9:07 | Work continues on the 400-meter cement oval track.

Interesting note, posted by Mike Cofrin last night on the Skater Network:

The guy who owns the 10K record on the John Rose Oval is none other than Powerslide's Jorge Botero.

Botero, who is a favorite to win today's pro open division, posted a 15:55.30 set on Aug. 4, 1996. (Not sure what the event was.)

Other 10K track records:

Women - Inline - Julie Brandt (Glass) 18:15 set on 8/21/94

Men - Ice - Joey Cheek 15:38.87 set on 2/14/98

8:35 | It rained overnight and this morning in Saint Paul. The John Rose Oval in Roseville is wet. But they're working on it.

Workers are pushing the water off the track with a tractor with a rubberized plow. Podium Sports' Mike Cofrin announced a few minutes ago that they expected to have the track dried by 9:30 am.

He also announced the race schedule:

9:30: Women, pro and advanced

10:15: Men, pro veteran, grand veteran and all advanced divisions

10:45: Pro men, open (elite) and master

Current conditions are overcast and cool.