Overall Depth Contributes To Team Victory For NAZ Elite In Distance Relay Event

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

A co-ed team from the HOKA NAZ Elite training group won the Michigan Pro Ekiden event Wednesday on a cool and windy day at Stony Creek Metro Park outside of Detroit. 

A lineup comprised of Tyler Day (28:46 10k), Lauren Paquette (19:19 6.1k), Rory Linkletter (14:53 5k), Kellyn Taylor (33:07 10k), Scott Fauble (17:41 6.1k) and Danielle Shanahan (16:18 5k) combined for a total time of 2 hours, 10 minutes and 11 seconds. 

The event, put together by Kevin Hanson of the Hansons-Brooks Project, offered a rare racing opportunity for distance runners in the midst of the 2020 pandemic. 

RESULTS

Another group of distance pros will gather next week for the Michigan Pro Half Marathon. 

Day staked NAZ Elite out to a 12-second lead, which Paquette then widened to 29 seconds by running the fastest second leg. 

Shadrack Biwott of the Hanson's B team ran the fastest third leg, going 14:41 on a challenging 5K section. 

Annie Frisbie of Minnesota Elite ran the fastest fourth leg, churning through 10K in 32:37 -- 30 seconds faster than Taylor. 

Jake Riley, a member of the 2020 U.S. Olympic Marathon team, was the fastest on leg 5 and ran 17:23 for Team Boulder. 

Shanahan had the fastest close, giving NAZ Elite three of the fastest six legs in the competition. Ekiden distance relays are hugely popular during the winter months in Japan but rarely contested in the U.S. 

The Hanson's A Team finished second overall in 2:12:08, followed by Minnesota Elite in 2:12:51, Roots Running in 2:13:03, Team Boulder in 2:14:20, Hanson's B Team in 2:15:06 and the Atlanta Track Club in 2:17:21.