Greenville Track Club-ELITE Athletes in South Carolina Road Race Rankings

Eddie Garcia and Jason Weitzel, pictured here relaxing the day before the USATF 10K Road Championships in Northport, NY.

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​Greenville Track Club-ELITE's Jason Weitzel and Eddie Garcia remain ranked second and third in the most recent South Carolina Road Race Rankings published by USATF State Record Keeper Bill Marable. Neither runner has competed in South Carolina since the Michelin Memorial 5K back in August as they have ventured north to compete in, first the USATF 20K Championships in New Haven, CT, and then the USATF 10K Championships in Northport, NY. Garcia placed 12th in the 20K and 15th in the 10K, while Weitzel placed 22nd in the 20K and 12th in the 10K. 

Weitzel had regained the number two ranking in September over his teammate Garcia by winning the Michelin Memorial 5K in August. Both Jason and Eddie crushed the previous course record of 14:42 (GTC-ELITE's Austin Steagall in 2016), with times of 14:15 and 14:20, respectively. Eddie had victories this summer at the Sunrise 8K and the Red, White and Blue Shoes 5K and was ranked second in the August rankings. Weitzel had been ranked second for 20 consecutive months before the August rankings, while Garcia had been ranked third for the previous six months.  

Both athletes are ranked behind 2022's South Carolina Long Distance Runner of the Year James Quattlebaum. Quattlebaum, also from Greenville previously won the SCLDROY honors in 2019 and 2021. Garcia, was the 2020 SCLD Runner of the Year in 2020. GTC-ELITE alums Ricky Flynn (Greenville) and Roland Hakes (now residing in Columbia) are ranked fourth and fifth, respectively.

South Carolina Road Race Rankings
as of October 7, 2023

Greenville Track Club-ELITE was established in 2012 and is in its second decade as a post-collegiate, Olympic-development program. The program produced four qualifiers for the 2016 USA Olympic Trials Marathon in Los Angeles, one qualifier/participant for the 2019 Pam American Games Marathon in. Lima, Peru, three qualifiers/two participants for the 2020 USA Olympic Trials Marathon in Atlanta, GA and one qualifier and participant in the 2021 USATF Olympic Track & Field Trials in the 3000m Steeplechase. The program's runners set four South Carolina State road race records in 2020 (5K, 15K and Half Marathon--twice) and three (15K, 10-Mile and 20K) in 2021. GTC-ELITE also produced the South Carolina Men's 2020 Long Distance Runner of the Year. 

​The program is sponsored and supported by the 51-year-old Greenville Track Club, ASICS, Joy Real Estate (Adopt an Athlete partner), generous individual contributors and partnerships with Performance Therapy, Carolina Spine and Rehab, Roll Recovery products, FinalSurge (on-line training log), ElliptiGO, NormaTec Recovery Boots, Cocoa Elite recovery products, UCAN energy products, Coach Bob Williams Pace Calculator, the DorsiFlex (stretching device), the MOBO board (balance & mobility), On Pace Wellness (nutrition coaching) and LEVER Movement (treadmill body weight support). The club is a proud and active member of both the Road Runners Club of America and USATF.​