SAVANNAH, Ga. – (February 25, 2013) – At the Running USA Hall of Champions Dinner & Live Auction on Monday evening at the Hyatt Regency Savannah, the fourth Allan Steinfeld Development Award winner and two Hall of Champions inductees were celebrated and feted. The evening presented by Competitor Group was part of Running USA 2013: The 10th Industry Conference that opened to a record registration of nearly 500 attendees in the Hostess City of the South.
ZAP Fitness was announced as the fourth Allan Steinfeld Development Award recipient. The development award was named after Allan Steinfeld, who jump-started the U.S. distance running resurgence when as head of the New York Road Runners he allocated $20,000 seed money for the development program Team USA Distance Running. The program, launched in November 2000, produced training groups such as Team Running USA (two Olympic medals in 2004 and major marathon wins) and Team USA Minnesota (winner of the inaugural development award) and inspired the formation of others. Steinfeld also is a co-founder and President Emeritus of Running USA.
“Since our inception in 1999, Running USA has supported and promoted U.S. athlete development, and ZAP Fitness embodies our and Allan’s vision. It is our distinct honor to present this $25,000 grant to ZAP Fitness,” said Susan Weeks, Running USA CEO.
“It is a great privilege to receive this year’s Allan Steinfeld Development Award. We began 11 years ago with the sole mission of improving American long distance running and have worked hard to build a successful training center and business dedicated to the sport of running. To have our program recognized by our peers at Running USA is an honor. This grant will go a long way toward supporting our program and our ZAP runners. Thank you to Allan Steinfeld and to all those at Running USA who continue to make this grant possible,” said Zika Rea, ZAP Fitness Co-Founder & Director.
ZAP athletes have produced top results from the turf to 1500 meters to the marathon. ZAP qualified five athletes for the 2004 U.S. Olympic Trials in the marathon and track & field, nine for the 2008 Olympic Trials, and nine for the 2012 Olympic Trials. Four ZAP men and one woman have qualified for the World Cross Country Team in the last 9 years, another athlete made the World Half-Marathon Team, and four ZAP women have run on the U.S. Ekiden Relay teams in Japan and Korea. Additionally ZAP placed a woman on the World Marathon Team in 2011. ZAP also won the USATF Club Cross Country team title in 2006, 2007 and 2009 and two ZAP athletes made the final of the 5000m event at the 2008 Olympic Trials.
The 7-member training group includes 4 men (Cole Atkins, Cameron Bean, Michael Crouch and Tyler Pennel) and 3 women (Esther Erb, Sarah Crouch and Alissa McKaig) and 3 staff (Zika Rea, Co-Founder & Director; Peter Rea, Head Coach and Ryan Warrenburg, Assistant Coach).