Kosgei, Masai Win Vattenfall Berlin Half Marathon
Kastor finishes second; sets four U.S. records including half-marathon

BERLIN - (April 2, 2006) - If anyone doubted that Paul Kosgei could regain the top flight as a distance runner, those doubts were disproved when the 2002 world champion for the distance won the Vattenfall Berlin Half Marathon on Sunday. Kosgei, who broke the Kenyan record, ran 59 minutes, 7 seconds - 22 seconds ahead of his compatriot Evans Cheruiyot. Only Haile Gebrselassie with 58:55 at Tempe in the USA on January 15 has run faster this year and that is a performance awaiting ratification as a world record. Kosgei also bettered the Berlin course record by 44 seconds.

The women's race delivered just as much food for thought as Kenya's Edith Masai, three times a world cross-country champion and world bronze medalist on the track, beat Deena Kastor of Mammoth Lakes, Calif. by 18 seconds. Both broke the course record of 68:22, held by Joyce Chepchumba of Kenya six years ago: Masai set a personal best with 67:16, the fastest time in the world this year, while Kastor's 67:34 improved her U.S. record by 19 seconds.

Temperatures were hovering around 15 degrees Centigrade as the record entry of altogether 20,419 athletes gathered on the start line on the famous avenue of Unter den Linden in the heart of the city. There was no sign of the showers that had descended on Berlin earlier in the week, but wind was the one problem mentioned by leading male and female runners as the city lived up to its reputation for fast times.

Shortly after 18K, Kosgei staged what proved to be a definitive attack. He went clear to win in 59:07, his fastest ever for the distance with Evans Cheruiyot timed at 59:29: "I knew Evans was strong but I was confident when I attacked the third time that I would win. I feel I'm back to my best form after leg injuries last year. Berlin has always been good for me, I set the world record for 25 km here in 2004." It also proved good for the runner-up as Cheruiyot improved his personal best by 45 seconds and third placer Wilfred Taragon made a successful debut at the distance with 60:46.

Masai and Kastor went to the start line with identical personal bests: 67:53, but Kastor, the 2004 Olympic Marathon bronze medalist, some six minutes faster over the marathon. Masai turned the tables as the lead changed hands, though there was never much between them. With around 45 minutes on the clock, Masai made her move: "I decided to push ahead and kept pushing and found I was going away from Deena."

Her reward was the course record and a personal best in 67:16. Kastor, though beaten, had the satisfaction of breaking her national record from September 18 in Philadelphia last year, clocking 67:34. Despite a couple of blisters and a numb spot on her foot, the Team Running USA athlete was very satisfied with a performance that augurs well for the Flora London Marathon on April 23: "London has such a star field, I'm going there to concentrate on the racing and if all goes well, the (fast) time will come." Additionally en route, Kastor set three more pending U.S. records: 12K in 38:24, 10 miles in 51:31 and 20K in 64:07.

Third place went to the Kenyan Mary Ptikany in 69:43 while the top German woman was Melanie Kraus, taking fifth in 73:58. Like Kraus, last year's winner Luminita Zaituc was racing here in preparation for the Metro Düsseldorf Marathon on May 7, but the European marathon silver medalist failed to finish. Both Kraus and Zaituc hope to be in the German squad that will defend the team title at the European Championships in Gothenburg in August.

26th Vattenfall Berlin Half Marathon
Berlin, Germany, Sunday, April 2, 2006

MEN
1) Paul Kosgei, KEN, 59:07
2) Evans Cheruiyot, KEN, 59:29
3) Wilfred Taragon, KEN, 60:46

WOMEN
1) Edith Masai, KEN, 67:16
2) Deena Kastor, USA/CA, 67:34*
3) Mary Ptikany, KEN, 69:43
*pending U.S. record (previous record, 1:07:53, Kastor, Philadelphia, 09/18/05)

More race information at: Berliner-HalbMarathon.de

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Bekele Wins Tenth IAAF World Cross Title; Goucher Finishes Sixth
Dibaba Defeats Kiplagat; Blake Russell 11th
By Sean Hartnett, Running USA wire

FUKUOKA, Japan - (April 1, 2006) - The IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Fukuoka is the final edition of the two-day, six-race format that was initiated in 1998 with the introduction of the short course 4K races. Ironically, the swan-song edition of the men's 4K was the highlight of Saturday's competition as Kenenisa Bekele sprinted away from a stellar field to capture his tenth individual title, while Adam Goucher closed with a furious finish to capture sixth place.

Once again the East African powers of Kenya and Ethiopia dominated the competition as Ethiopia's Tirunesh Dibaba overcame a determined effort by Lornah Kiplagat to win the Senior women's 8K race, while Pauline Korikwiang led a Kenyan sweep of the top four places in the Junior women's 6K event. The Japanese fans had plenty to cheer about as the host squad claimed the third place medals in both women's team competitions.

Bekele's Late Sprint Takes 4K
Bekele prevailed over a strong Kenyan challenge led by Helsinki 5000m champ Ben Limo, Augustine Choge the Commonwealth 5000m winner and Issac Songok who finished second in last year's 4K race in France. Also in the mix were Steeple world record holder Saif Shaheen of Qatar and Australian Craig Mottram.

Bekele set off in a full sprint as the course features a hill and sharp turn in the opening 500 meters. When the opening pace let up, Bekele's teammate Sileshi Sihine was sent sprawling as two dozen runners ran in close quarters at the front. Bekele was content to let Songok and Choge control the pace until the final 500 meters, when the world's greatest harrier powered away from the field to score a 10 meter victory over Songok. The surprise of the day was Moroccan 1500 runner Adil Kaouch who claimed the silver. "It was windy out on the course," Bekele noted, adding "this win was tougher than all the others."

Goucher laid off the vigorous opening pace, and worked his way steadily up through the pack. The U.S. champ ran in 28th place at the kilometer, 21st at 2K and 13th at 3K, before he unleashed a long striding kick that sent him past Motram, Shaheen and Choge on the run in. Goucher notes of his plan "I was looking at the start list, and I said to myself to run my race, and let it unfold, because people will die, and I just kept running hard. I felt good out there, especially when you're running against the fastest guys in the world. I wasn't surprised that Craig Mottram (of Australia) was up in the lead; I was surprised that I passed him. This was just awesome!" Goucher's sixth place finish was the highest U.S. senior men's placing since Pat Porter took the same place in the 1986 long course race.

Kenya took the team title with 21 points, Ethiopia was second with 48 and Morocco took the bronze with 53. The U.S. team finished 5th with 80 points, as Ryan Hall was the second U.S. finisher placing 19th, Jorge Torres finished 27th and Daniel Lincoln 28th.

Dibaba Withstands Kiplagat's Challenge
Kenyan native Lorna Kiplagat who now competes for the Netherlands moved right to the front in the women's 8K race and set a demanding pace that only a quartet of Ethiopian runners and 2004 champ Australian Benita Johnson could match. Kiplagat remained at the front with the five runners shadowing her every step through six kilometers, when the Dutch roads star blew apart the pack with a hard downhill surge. Only Dibaba could match the acceleration, and with 200 meters to go last year's double winner unleashed her devastating sprint to claim her second 8K title. Meselech Melkamu claimed the bronze.

Blake Russell led the U.S. team to fifth with a strong 11th place showing. "The course was great, but I lost contact with that top 10 or so," Russell offered, "but I caught people, I felt like I finished strong. My goal was top ten and I was 11th, so I can't be too disappointed."

The Kenyan squad simply dominated the Junior women's race as a quartet of runners quickly moved away from the pack. The Kenyan squad started the competition on a high note with a perfect 10 point score, while the U.S. squad finished in sixth place. McKayla Plank led the way for Team USA.

DAY 2
Bekele Double World Champion Again Then Makes Unexpected Announcement
Burka Takes Women's 4K Title
By Sean Hartnett, Running USA wire

FUKUOKA, Japan - (April 2, 2006) - The second day of the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Fukuoka brought some expected results as Kenenisa Bekele left the pack behind in the final kilometer, then announced that he was leaving cross country behind to concentrate on track racing.

Sunday also saw another strong showing by the Kenyan squad who claimed team victories in the Men's 12K and the Junior Men's 8K races, finishing the championships with four team wins and two individual titles. The remaining gold medals were clamed by Ethiopian athletes.

Bekele Completes Fifth Double
The featured men's 12K race started cautiously amid blustery winds that blew in after morning rain. Some thirty runners including the USA's Ryan Hall ran in the lead pack through 5K as the wind proved to be the toughest challenge of the day. Bekele picked up the pace in the seventh kilometer pulling his teammate Sileshi Sihine and two Kenyans and Eritrean clear of the pack. A kilometer later, Kenyan Martin Irungu Mathathi managed to work his way uo to the lead group. Bekele lifted the pace even higher in the final kilometer sprinting home to claim his 10th senior title with comparative ease. Sihine came home second, making amend for a spill in Saturday's 4K, and Mathathi edged past Zersenay Tadesse in the final meters to take the bronze medal. Hall was the top U.S. finisher in 43rd place. The Kenyan team regained the team title, fending off a surprising challenge by Eritrea, while Ethiopia earned the bronze.

Minutes after his big win, Bekele made even bigger news as he noted that this would probably be his final cross country competition as he plans to focus on track races in the future. "I'm leaning towards not competing at the world cross country anymore," Bekele offered, adding "I have nothing left to prove. I wish to concentrate on track races in the future, and to hope to improve on my records in five and ten kilometers."

Burka Steps Up
Ethiopian Gelete Burka left the field behind in the final kilometer to score a convincing win in the women's 4K competition. Long course champion Tirunesh Dibaba's bid for a second consecutive double unraveled half-way through the race as the diminutive Ethiopian had been weakened by a recent case of the measles. Burka launched a strong attack a kilometer from home and the 2005 junior champ was challenged only by the wind on the way to her first senior win.

Blake Russell again led the U.S. squad with a strong 18th place finish, doubling back from an 11th place finish in Saturday's 8K race. "I was feeling a little beat up," Russell admitted. "Once I got going, it was the most physical race I've ever been in it was like a boxing match out there." Kara Goucher (21st) and Sara Hall (26th) finished on Russell's heels, and Carrie Tollefson recovered from an early spill to take 34th as the U.S. was again fifth.

Kenyan Juniors Roll
The Kenyan Junior men started off the days with an impressive win, surging hard after a cautious opening 5K to place their four scorers in the top nine. Kenenisa Bekele's younger brother Tariku made a strong a strong bid to add more cross gold to the family's collection, but the Kenyan duo of Mangata Kimai Ndiwa and Leonard Patrick Komon prevailed in the final sprint straight into the wind.

The Fukuoka championships marked the end of the nine-year experiment with the 4K short course experiment as next year's competition in Mombasa, Kenya will feature only the long course and Junior competitions.

IAAF World Cross Country Championships
Fukuoka, Japan, Sat-Sun, April 1-2, 2006

DAY 1
4K MEN
1) Kenenisa Bekele (ETH), 10:54
2) Isaac Kiprono Songok (KEN), 10:55
3) Adil Kaouch (MAR), 10:57

Team USA
6) Adam Goucher (OR), 11:02
19) Ryan Hall (CA), 11:18
27) Jorge Torres (CO), 11:21
28) Daniel Lincoln (AR), 11:21
33) Ian Dobson (CA), 11:35
57) Luke Watson (MN), 11:35

Team
1) Kenya, 21
2) Ethiopia, 48
3) Morocco, 53
5) USA, 80

8K WOMEN
1) Tirunesh Dibaba (ETH), 25:21
2) Lornah Kiplagat (NED), 25:26
3) Meselech Melkamu (ETH), 25:38

Team USA
11) Blake Russell (CA), 26:23
21) Katie McGregor (MN), 26:46
26) Sara Slattery (CO), 26:51
33) Colleen De Reuck (CO), 27:07
49) Rene Metivier (CO), 27:37
59) Sharon Thompson (TN), 27:54

Team
1) Ethiopia, 16
2) Kenya, 39
3) Japan, 80
5) USA, 91

DAY 2
4K WOMEN
1) Gelete Burka (ETH), 12:51
2) Priscah Jepleting Ngetich (KEN), 12:53
3) Meselech Melkamu (ETH), 12:54

Team USA
18) Blake Russell (CA), 13:21
21) Kara Goucher (OR), 13:24
26) Sara Hall (CA), 13:28
34) Carrie Tollefson (MN), 13:36
38) Sarah Schwald (CO), 13:40
66) Amy Mortimer (MA), 14:10

Team
1) Ethiopia, 25
2) Kenya, 26
3) Australia, 69
4) Morocco, 73
5) USA, 99

12K MEN
1) Kenenisa Bekele (ETH), 35:40
2) Sileshi Sihine (ETH), 35:43
3) Martin Irungu Mathathi (KEN), 35:44

Team USA
43) Ryan Hall (CA), 37:29)
51) Patrick Gildea (TN), 37:45
55) Brandon Leslie (NM), 37:58
57) Max King (OR), 38:03
74) Jason Hartmann (CO), 38:23

Team
1) Kenya, 24
2) Eritrea, 28
3) Ethiopia, 42
12) USA, 206

Complete race results at: IAAF.org
For U.S. athlete quotes and more, go to: USATF.org

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Johnson, Tomescu-Dita Take LaSalle Bank Shamrock Shuffle 8K Titles

CHICAGO - (April 2, 2006) - Chad Johnson needed a strong kick to win the men's title and Constantina Tomescu-Dita was in control start to finish in the women's race on Sunday at the 27th LaSalle Bank Shamrock Shuffle 8K.

Battling swirling winds in downtown Chicago, Johnson worked with Hansons-Brooks Distance Project teammate Josh Eberly and began reeling in early leader Khalid Khannouchi after the 4-mile mark in the 4.97-mile race.

Johnson passed the former two-time world record-holder in the marathon with 200 meters to go on Columbus Drive, and Eberly, also closing fast, got Khannouchi just before the finish. Johnson's winning time was 23:52. Eberly clocked 23:56 and Khannouchi 23:57.

"It felt like we were starting to close on him after the fourth mile," Johnson said. "When we turned the corner (off Roosevelt), he looked back. I didn't pass him until there were about 200 meters to go. I felt real strong today. Khalid was out there alone in the wind. Being able to work together (with Eberly) really worked to our advantage."

Khannouchi, who like Tomescu-Dita is training for the Flora London Marathon on April 23, wasn't expecting Johnson and Eberly to battle back to the front.

"I was surprised," Khannouchi said. "I thought I had a big lead on them. I just didn't have the speed to go with them. I tried my best to run as hard as I could."

Khannouchi's other concern was his left foot. Last year, he dropped out with three-fourths of a mile to go because of an injury that had him down most of the year. This time, it felt fine, and he was racing hard after putting in six consecutive 120 mile weeks in preparation for London.

"I didn't even think about it," Khannouchi said of the foot, which appears to be as good as new.

In the women's competition, Tomescu-Dita, 36, of Romania, ran by herself almost the entire race and won comfortably in 26:27. Hansons-Brooks runners Melissa White and Desiree Devila of Royal Oak, Mich. were second and third in 27:21 and 27:58 respectively.

Tomescu-Dita, who raced a lot last year, including a runner-up 2:21:30 at The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon, logged four consecutive 140-mile weeks at high altitude coming into the Shamrock Shuffle.

"I feel a little tired," she said, with her thoughts fully on London, even in the aura of victory at the Shamrock Shuffle. Why? She is the defending champion at London.

Still, she broke out to a 5:10 first mile, followed by a 5:08 before facing the windier and slower second half of the race.

Executive Race Director Carey Pinkowski thought things went well on a day when rains held off for almost all of the competitors in the field of more than 23,000 runners.

"This is an exercise for us," said Pinkowski who doubles as Director of The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon in October. "It's a lot of fun, and it's our first event of the year and allows us to work out the bugs.

"Chad Johnson ran a great race, and it was great to see Khalid running well again. He says he feels good. And I think Constantina can win at London. Both (Tomescu-Dita and Khannouchi) are focused on that race."

27th LaSalle Bank Shamrock Shuffle 8K
Chicago, IL, Sunday, April 2, 2006

MEN
1) Chad Johnson, MI, 23:52, $1250
2) Josh Eberly, MI, 23:56, $750
3) Khalid Khannouchi, NY, 23:57, $650

WOMEN
1) Constantina Tomescu-Dita, ROM, 26:27, $1250
2) Melissa White, MI, 27:21, $750
3) Desiree Devila, MI, 27:58, $650

Deeper race results at: ShamrockShuffle.com

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Malakwen, Makunzi Win Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10K
Record field includes First Daughters Jenna and Barbara Bush

RICHMOND, Va. - (April 1, 2006) - Kenyan Nicodemus Malakwen seized control early to easily win the Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10K on Saturday. The 24-year-old's time of 28 minutes, 31 seconds was the second-fastest winning time in the seven year history of the event, behind only Reuben Chebii's 28:07 in 2004. That was good enough to beat countryman Phillip Lagat by one minute and one second.

With thousands cheering her name, Richmond's Nancy Fabian gave it her all but was unable to win the Cingular Dash for the Cash. Starting at the 2.4-mile mark, her mission was to beat the elites to the finish line. Instead, it was Malakwen who crossed the line first to pick up the $2500 contest prize to go along with the $2000 purse to the race winner. At the post-race awards ceremony, Cingular surprised the crowd with the announcement that Fabian was being awarded $1000 in recognition of her outstanding effort.

In the women's 10K race, 23-year-old Kenyan Magdalene Makunzi took the $2000 first prize in a time of 32:33, just five seconds off the event record time set by Edna Kiplagat in 2003. The time was good for a one minute and one second victory over countrywoman Lineth Chepkurui.

A total of 20,119 participants registered for the race, over 3,600 more than last year's record field of 16,511. Among the participants were First Daughters Jenna and Barbara Bush, who both finished the 6.2 miles in under 55 minutes. The morning began with 1,223 children ages 6 through 12 participating in the First Market Mile Kids Race presented by Minute Maid. It is estimated that the Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10K raised more than $100,000 for the VCU Massey Cancer Center.

The 2007 Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10K will take place on Saturday, March 31. Registration is expected to open on December 26, 2006.

7th Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10K
Richmond, VA, Saturday, April 1, 2006

MEN
1) Nicodemus Malakwen, KEN, 28:31, $4500
2) Phillip Lagat, KEN, 29:32, $1000
3) Laban Moiben, KEN, 29:45, $800

WOMEN
1) Magdalene Makunzi, KEN, 32:33, $2000
2) Lineth Chepkurui, KEN, 33:34, $1000
3) Eunice Chepkirui, KEN, 34:07, $800

Full results at: SportsBackers.org

Ryan Lamppa, Running USA Media Director

(805) 696-6232
Ryan@RunningUSA.org

RunningUSA.org