Meghan Payton Wins US 20K Championship

Meghan Peyton at the US track championships
in Des Moines. Photo by Gene Niemi

Team USA Minnesota's Meghan Peyton won the US 20K Championship Monday morning at the New Haven 20K in 1:09:57.

“The win feels so awesome,” said Peyton, who finished 32nd overall and is training for the USA Marathon Championships/Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon October 6.  “In 2012 I was suffering a little bit and didn’t have the best year.  But I believe in Coach Dennis Barker’s training for me and it paid off.  I am starting to feel pretty fit and confident.

“I definitely didn’t worry about the weather or what other people were doing,” she told RunnerSpace in a post-race interview.  “I just tried to execute my own race.  I found myself in the lead at six miles.  I told myself I could win it, to not settle in the pack and to keep pushing.”

A small pack went through the 10K mark in 34:39.  Peyton threw in a small surge at that point and then another surge between nine and ten miles to separate herself from other contenders and lead the rest of the way.  “I have had some pretty high mileage weeks as part of my training for the marathon,” she said.  “Today I raced to my best potential.”

Next up for Peyton will be the USA 5K Championships in Providence on September 22

Top ten finishers in the men's and women's races are HERE. Full results are HERE.  Peyton's pre-race interview is HERE. Post race video is HERE. RRW article on New Haven race is HERE. Women's race highlights is HERE.