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USA California is Sponsored by Nike
and supported by grants from The New York City Marathon and USA Track & Field |
| Wire 92, Sept. 29, 2002 | |
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MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL, Minn. - (September 29, 2002) - Dan Browne kept telling himself to stay focused, be patient. The lead pack had whittled down to only three men over the final 8 miles, but he was having a hard time shaking his final two competitors. The Portland, Ore. resident knew he was the one to beat, but he just had to wait until the right moment. That moment came as he and defending champion Joshua Kipkemboi and fellow Kenyan Jackson Kipngok approached the majestic St. Paul Cathedral, about a half-mile from the finish. That was enough divine inspiration for Browne, in his marathon debut, to make a decisive move and sprint to the finish line to capture the 21st Twin Cities Marathon, the USA Men's Marathon Championship and the 2002 Men's USA Running Circuit Grand Prix title. His time of 2:11:35 is also an "A" Olympic qualifier and he earned $34,000. Irina Bogacheva from Kirghizstan left nothing to chance as she led from the Metrodome to the State Capitol to win the women's race in 2:29:39 and $14,000. Jill Gaitenby of Providence, RI and Susannah Beck of Eugene, Ore. worked together most of the race, with Gaitenby separating herself over the final miles to take second and the USA Women's Marathon Championship in 2:36:10; her first national title and a personal record. Beck was 3rd in 2:36:34. Linda Somers Smith, a 1996 Olympic marathoner, finished 5th overall in 2:39:26, good enough for the USA Masters title. Kipkemboi followed Browne in 2:11:45, over two minutes faster than his winning time from last year (and also a pending U.S. Masters All-Comers Record), while Kipngok settled for third in 2:11:51. Their performances can only be labeled as "masterful" since both are listed as over 40 years of age (Kipngok's masters status was still in question at press time). Eddy Hellebuyck finished out the top 3 in 2:19:59, claiming the USA Masters title. "I could tell they weren't going anywhere," commented Browne in reference to Kipkemboi and Kipngok. "I could not hear them breathing or working hard. I told myself to stay focused. I had worked too hard to give in to these guys now." Nobody was giving in as the race started under overcast skies in front of the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome. The temperatures were in the 50s, with little or no wind and overcast. It looked like an ideal day for marathoning, other than the heavy fog, which brought unwelcome humidity to the twin cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Browne, Kipkemboi, Kipngok, Andrej Kryscin and Mouhamet Nazipov followed pacesetters Phillimon Hanneck and Chad Johnson through the early miles. Their goal was to go through about 18 miles on 4:57 - 5:00 pace, or 2:10 for the marathon. A second pack with Brad Hauser, David Morris, Todd Reeser and others quickly formed behind another pacesetter; their goal - 1:06 half-marathon, or 2:12 marathon pace. The first 3 miles were dead on 5:00 pace. The pace suddenly picked up to 4:50 on the slightly downhill mile 4. This began a string of sub-5:00 miles, most around 4:55-4:56, which lasted through the half-marathon point. The scenery along the way is breathtaking, in more ways than one. The course passes by four major lakes, beautiful residential areas and dignified homes bordering tree-lined boulevards. The course sways slightly up and down while neighbors emerge from their front doors to cheer for the marathoners. They were not disappointed. The two packs stayed intact until around mile 9 when Kryscin dropped to the back of the first pack and soon was out of touch with the leaders. The next several miles continued on the pre-determined pace with the pack touching the chip mat at the half-marathon in 1:04:56, just under 2:10 pace. At that point, Johnson dropped out, his work done for the day. The second pack continued the chase but it was apparent they would not challenge the leaders. Hauser, a 2000 U.S. Olympian, became impatient and made a break around mile 18. He thought he had a chance to catch the lead group but that hope only lasted through mile 22. "I was feeling good through 20," said Hauser sitting on the grass after the race, nursing a couple of black toes and precarious toenails. "That's not good, huh? I ran 5:02 on 21 and 22, but then I ran a 5:35 on mile 23 and it felt like a 5:02. I really struggled the rest of the way." Meanwhile, the pace in lead pack slowed slightly to about 5:00 per mile, with Nazipov dropping off the pace around mile 17. Hanneck stepped off the road at mile 18, his work done. Now it was down to three - Browne, Kipkemboi and Kipngok. Now it was time to race. Browne, 27, took control of the pace with the Kenyans in tow. "I felt a sense of urgency to run a fast time," recounted Browne who won 5 U.S. titles in 1998. "I knew I was the one being chased and usually I'm the one chasing. But that's racing." With Browne leading the charge the threesome passed miles 19 and 20 in 5:01 and 5:00 respectively. The course starts a series of brutal uphills just past 20, not unlike the Heartbreak Hills at the Boston Marathon. Mile 21 passed in 5:02, but the infamous St. Thomas Hill was waiting. It starts just past the 21st mile, and lasts for another two miles, an eternity during the final stage of the marathon. The three leaders gamely kept the fight, but gave in to the hills, running 5:16, 5:20 and 5:12 over the next three miles. A 2:10 wasn't going to happen today, but some good racing was ahead. At that point, Browne, the 2002 USA 20K champion, changed strategy slightly. "After 22 and 23, I said, just race. The time is out the window. I want to win. I knew the Kenyans were dangerous, so I didn't want to do anything foolish." Browne is a meticulous athlete, so detailed that his coach, Alberto Salazar, said he had been practicing how to take water bottles for months. He leaves nothing to chance. The finale of his debutante marathon came down to who was the best prepared, and who had the best closing speed. No contest. Browne - who has run a mile in under 4:00 - saved that ace as long as he could. The West Point graduate powered down the hill past the state house toward the excited crowd at the finish. "It was the coolest finish of my career. Running past the cathedral and the state capitol and coming down the hill to the crowd. It was a great feeling." With his Twin Cities win (worth double Circuit points, 30), Browne won the Men's USA Running Circuit - a USA Track & Field road series featuring USA Championships and he earned $6000 in Grand Prix money. The men's USARC finale is the Food World Senior Bowl Charity Run 10K in Mobile, Ala. on November 2 where the final two Grand Prix prize money positions will be decided. Last year, Browne was USARC Grand Prix co-champion with Scott Larson. The women's race was never in question. Bogacheva, 41, led from the opening gun at the Metrodome in Minneapolis to the finish line at the State Capitol in St. Paul. She thought there would be a group to run with but it never materialized. "I thought others would be with me," said Bogacheva who also defended her master's title. "I didn't even have men to run with. I would catch someone and then they would drop behind. I was hoping to run 2:26, but at mile 10, I knew I wouldn't get it. I like this course so I wanted to return to Twin Cities." Gaitenby and Beck helped each other through most of the race. After 18 miles, Gaitenby pulled ahead and caught Firaya Sultanova from Russia at mile 20. When she crossed the finish line she was unaware she had won the USA Championship. "I thought someone else was ahead of me," said Gaitenby. "I was thinking Kelly Flathers was up there. So, yeah, I was surprised when I heard." "I never saw Bogacheva, but I figured the U.S. championship was anyone's race. I wanted to run 2:33 today, but when I saw the humidity I knew I had no chance. I have a vocal chord dysfunction and humidity is the worst thing for me. But I'm very happy." Beck said she never really felt good the entire race. "I wanted a 5:48 average, but it wasn't going to happen. I hung in there so I'm pleased. Jill really helped me, but after mile 18 I encouraged her to go on." Somers Smith was pleased with her marathon and U.S. masters title. "I ran strongly the whole way. I was competitive so I'm happy with that. I was very concerned with the last five miles. I slowed even though the effort was the same. I'm not really an uphill runner." Hellebuyck was also happy to add another master title to his sparkling resume. "I had pretty much retired from marathons, but my wife Shawn talked me into it. I ran well the whole way. I didn't bonk like I did at New York last year. Now I might try to hang on and run the Trials." Hellebuyck wasn't the only one thinking ahead to the Trials. "The marathon is always something I wanted to do," said Browne. "People told me I couldn't do it, I was too much of a miler. They said Dan you're too much up on your toes. My next big goal is to make the Olympic marathon team." "I was excited to see Dan win and run a good time," said coach Salazar. "The marathon was a big question mark. We didn't know if it was Dan's event, and if he had come here and run 2:13 or 2:14, then he would have been in no-man's land. But now we know he is a marathoner." 21st Twin Cities Marathon: USA Championships MEN MASTERS MEN (40+) WOMEN MASTERS WOMEN (40+) For deeper results and more, go to the race website at: http://www.twincitiesmarathon.org
Dan Browm Also Wins 2002 USA Road Circuit Grand Prix. The USARC - a USA Track & Field road series - features
USA Championships from 5K to the marathon. The 2002 USARC, the eighth
edition for the men and seventh for the women, offers over $340,000 in
championship prize money plus a $25,000 grand prix purse. Per USARC race,
the first ten U.S. runners earn points (15 for first, 12 for second, 10
for third, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1) with a final $12,500 grand prix purse
($6000, $4000 and $2500) for the top three men and women point scorers
overall. Circuit points at the Twin Cities Marathon will be doubled. MEN WOMEN 2002 USA Road Champions WOMEN |
| Ryan Lamppa, Running USA Media Services USATF Road Running Information Center 5522 Camino Cerralvo Santa Barbara, CA 93111 (805) 696-6232, fax (805) 696-6252 |