Conley qualified for the 2012 Olympics at last summer’s U.S. Olympic Trials with a dramatic late sruge in the 5000 meters to finish third and achieve the necessary time standard to go to London. The UC Davis grad was unable to make the 5000 meter final in London but did set a personal best of 15:14.48 in the preliminaries.

Defending champion Jackie Areson will be back in the heart of Silicon Valley for a second-straight year. A win in San Jose last year catapulted Areson to a breakthrough outdoor track campaign that included a 5000 meter personal best of 15:14.31.

Also in the field will be steeplechase Olympian Bridget Franek who was 14th in the London final, three-time NCAA champion Angela Bizzarri and 1500 meter standout Katie Mackey.

Estrada will be racing for the first time since placing 21st in the 10,000 meter final in London. The senior at Northern Arizona University has made a habit of racing the Silicon Valley Turkey Trot the last two years just days after a grueling 10k race at the NCAA Cross Country Championships. This year will be different as Estrada was out of collegiate eligibility this past cross country season but will return to action in a Lumberjack jersey for indoor and outdoor track.

Stephen Sambu was runner-up at the NCAA Cross Country Championships this past Saturday, his final race wearing the uniform of the University of Arizona. Sambu will embark on his professional career starting on the streets of San Jose where he was second a year ago.

Joining Sambu and Estrada will be Leonard Korir, a former NCAA champion while at Iona, and Scott Bauhs, who was set to make his marathon debut earlier this month in New York City before the race was ultimately cancelled.

The race held in downtown San Jose has gained a reputation in recent years for its loop-style course that has yielded fast times. Course records are 13:33 set by David McNeill a year ago and 15:41 set by Sally Kipyego in 2009.

The elite women’s race will begin at 10:00am with the elite men getting started a half-hour later at 10:30am.

FULL LIST OF ENTRIES:

2012 Silicon Valley Turkey Trot Elite Entries

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Jackie Areson

Areson, the 2010 NCAA indoor 5000 meter champion, broke away from the pack midway through the race. Her move was covered by 2:36 marathoner Aziza Aliyu but Areson was ultimately able to break the Ethiopian on the final two kilometer loop to break the tape in a time of 16 minutes, 2 seconds.

Aliyu was second in 16 minutes, 6 seconds while Wichita State grad Kellyn Johnson was third in 16 minutes, 24 seconds.

Areson joined the Nike Oregon Project and coaches Alberto Salazar and Steve Magness last May after exhausting collegiate eligibility at the University of Tennessee.

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Thanks to Jason Liao for the footage.

Official results:

1. David McNeill 13:33
2. Stephen Sambu 13:37
3. Diego Estrada 13:38
4. Jordan McNamara 13:49
5. Dathan Ritzenhein 13:49
6. Aaron Braun 13:55
7. Phillip Reid 13:57
8. Giliat Ghebray 13:57
9. Abiyot Endale 13:59
10. Michael Coe 14:01

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