Running USA wire 81, October 4, 2009

Three-time Olympian beats back challenge by Josh Moen for fourth USA 10 mile title

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. - (October 4, 2009) - In a pulsating battle for the 2009 USA 10 Mile Championship hosted by the Medtronic TC 10, defending 2007 champion Abdi Abdirahman of Tucson, Ariz. finally vanquished gutsy Minnesotan Josh Moen to win his fourth USA title at the distance.

Abdirahman (photo left, NYRR), 32, bettered his own event record of 47:34 with a 46:35 clocking on the challenging Minneapolis to St. Paul course. Moen, a former NCAA Division III star, led the three-time Olympian in the race's final mile, but finished three seconds adrift at 46:38.

Moen's Team USA Minnesota teammates Patrick Smyth and Jason Lehmkuhle finished third and fourth, respectively in 47:09 and 47:16. Pre-race co-favorite Anthony Famiglietti finished seventh in 48:09 and was never a factor in the contest.

The race, which opens with steeply downhill opening miles, followed by a fierce climb to the three-mile mark, was on pace for a sub-46-minute finish through five miles thanks to Abdirahman's aggressive early pacesetting and Moen's combativeness.

Each of the races first five miles were run in under 4:40. Conditions for the contest were ideal: overcast skies and temperatures in the mid-40s.

Starting on the climb in the third mile, whenever Abdirahman pressed the pace, Moen would respond with his own surge once the pace slackened.

"You respond, you stare right back at him," Moen explained. "You don't give and inch at all and sometimes you surge right back on him."

The duel Moen and Abdirahman waged dropped Smyth and Lehmkuhle, the last of the contenders, shortly after the 4 mile mark. In the middle miles, Abdirahman, now an eight-time USA road titlist with 27:16 10,000 meter bona fides, seemed on the cusp of breaking the 27-year-old Iowa native, but Moen refused to succumb.

At seven miles, unfathomably, Moen opened a 10-meter gap on Abdirahman. But Abdirahman, himself, refused to be broken, taking back the lead in the eighth mile. Moen made a last bid for victory in the final mile, but the Somali-born University of Arizona grad fought back, opened a slim lead heading into the long, downhill Twin Cities finish, and defended his hard-earned margin to the finish line.

Despite the obvious effort, Abdirahman claimed he knew the race was his to win throughout.

"I was just running my own race, trying to stay comfortable," said the four-time USA 10,000 meter champion who earned $10,000. "That was the race plan for me - not to run too hard. It just turned out Josh ran a great race today."

Abdirahman, Moen, and Lehmkuhle will meet again in four weeks at the USA Men's Marathon Championships at the ING New York City Marathon.

11th Medtronic TC 10 Mile: USA Men's Championship
Minneapolis, MN, Sunday, October 4, 2009

MEN
1) Abdi Abdirahman (AZ), 46:35*, $10,000
2) Joshua Moen (MN), 46:38, $6000
3) Patrick Smyth (MN), 47:09, $4000
4) Jason Lehmkuhle (MN), 47:16, $2000
5) Ian Burrell (AZ), 47:41, $1000
6) Max King (OR), 47:58, $750
7) Anthony Famiglietti (TN), 48:09, $500
8) Mike Spence (UT), 48:13, $275
9) Craig Curley (AZ), 48:15, $250
10) Joshua Eberly (CO), 48:26, $225
*event record (previous record, 47:34, Abdi Abdirahman, 2007)

WOMEN
1) Rachel Booth (CA), 57:33
2) Claudia Becque (IL), 58:08
3) Jenna Boren (MN), 58:21

Full race results at: www.mtcmarathon.org

Gebre women's winner; perfect running weather, fast course for 4th Bay Area event

SAN JOSE, Calif. - (October 4, 2009) - California's fastest half-marathon lived up to its billing Sunday as American Meb Keflezighi set a new U.S. 20K record and bettered his personal record by 25 seconds winning the Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon in a time of 1 hour, 1 minute. Keflezighi's 20K split of 57:52 broke Ryan Hall's standing 20K record of 57:54 set in 2006.

"The other runners looked like they were struggling with the 4:30 pace early on, so I decided to leave the pack and go on my own," said Keflezighi (left, CGI), who pulled a way from the pack just after mile 3, competing in a showdown against the clock. "It was a great atmosphere out there today; I just wanted to maintain a solid pace through 10 miles and then see what I had left. I ran a personal best by 25 seconds and I'm 34, so I am very excited with my performance."

A 19-time USA champion, Keflezighi's half-marathon time ranks him number three all-time U.S. on a record standard course. The 2004 Olympic Marathon silver medalist now sits behind only Mark Curp's 1:00:55 from 1985 and Ryan Hall's U.S. record 59:43 from 2007.

"As Roger Craig said 'I did it today' and it's just nice to be healthy. I'm ready for New York and look forward to continuing my marathon training," added the two-time Olympian Keflezighi, whose pending 20K record reclaimed the mark he held before Mammoth Track Club teammate Hall. "My long term goal is London 2012 and I still have a marathon PR in me and today's proved that age doesn't mean a thing."

Oakland resident Bolota Asmerom finished a distant race runner-up in 1:03:06.

The women's race was led by Belainesh Gebre of Ethiopia who crossed the line in 1:11:24. Bay Area resident Magdalena Lewy-Boulet, who made her Olympic debut for the U.S. in Beijing 2008, finished a close second with a PR of 1:11:46. Her previous half-marathon best of 1:11:47 was set in 2008.

"Last week was a high mileage week and I didn't feel that great out there," said Lewy-Boulet, who is also training for the ING New York City Marathon. "I skipped the World Half-Marathon Championships to run here in my backyard because I wanted to support our local race. I set a personal best which is great, and I'll be back next year.

On a perfect fall morning that dawned with clear blue skies, the 4th Rock 'n' Roll San Jose Half Marathon kicked off one of California's fastest road races, the site of both the men's and women's half-marathon records for the State of California.

Runners from 44 states and 11 countries participated in the race, including a group of California's fastest runners, who competed in the event's first California Cup. Three-time Super Bowl champion Roger Craig completed his fourth straight San Jose race in 1:48:27. He was followed by soccer star Brandi Chastain running for her third straight year in 1:59:03.

All race participants enjoyed a wide variety of entertainment along the tree-lined course, with bands and cheerleaders at each mile to keep the energy high. The Finish Line Festival at the Plaza de Cesar Chavez in downtown San Jose kept the party atmosphere going with free MGD 64 for all of-age participants and a headliner concert with Grammy-winning blues and jazz artist Jonny Lang.

The Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon will celebrate its 5th edition in San Jose on October 3, 2010.

4th Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon
San Jose, CA, Sunday, October 4, 2009

MEN
1) Meb Keflezighi (CA), 1:01:00#, $3500*
2) Bolota Asmerom (CA), 1:03:06, $2000*
3) Charlie Serrano (CA), 1:04:20, $1500*
4) Luke Humphrey (MI), 1:05:03, $500
5) Chris Chavez (CA), 1:05:13, $800*
#pending U.S. 20K record, 57:52, en route (U.S. ratified record, 57:54, Ryan Hall, 2006)

WOMEN
1) Belainesh Gebre (ETH), 1:11:24, $1500
2) Magdalena Lewy-Boulet (CA), 1:11:46, $3000*
3) Jenny Wilson (CA), 1:22:38, $1750*
4) Dena Evans (CA), 1:22:50, $1250*
5) Tracey Freyre (CA), 1:23:00, $800*
*includes California Cup prize money (a resident north of San Luis Obispo since October 1, 2008)

More race results at: http://san-jose.competitor.com

Hartmann men's Open champion in PR; De Reuck, Lokken USA Masters champions; 29 women qualify for 2012 Olympic Trials

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. - (October 4, 2009) - On an ideal Sunday morning for racing, and on a day when race fans were wondering if a new oldest USA Marathon champion in history might be crowned, a 20-year-old stole the show at the 28th Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon, becoming the second-youngest USA Women's Marathon titlist in the championship's 35-year history.

20-year-old Ilsa Paulson of New York City caught 45-year-old Colleen De Reuck of Boulder, Colo. in the event's final miles and raced on to win her first national title, and $25,000 in national championship prize money, in 2 hours, 31 minutes, 49 seconds.

De Reuck, already the oldest female USA Marathon champ (2004), could have become the oldest USA Marathon champion of either gender with a victory, but finished runner-up in 2:32:37. The four-time Olympian earned some measure of consolation by winning the USA Masters title ($7500) with her effort.

As it was, John A. Kelley's 1950 USA title won when he was 42 years, 257 days-old remains the overall record. Kim Merritt's 1975 U.S. title won when she was 20 years, 161 days-old stays the record for youngest female national marathon champion, since Paulson is but 45 days away from her 21st birthday.

"This is really, really rewarding," Paulson said. "You just hang in there and grind it out, and it felt so good today, particularly the last 10 kilometers."

Indeed, Paulson looked so strong at the finish and felt so energetic in her American flag-draped victory trot up the course from the St. Paul finish line, race announcers joked that she might be running back to the starting line in Minneapolis.

Paulson's path to the Twin Cities Marathon winner's circle was both fast and unique. In 2007, Paulson took the unusual step of leaving Northern Arizona University during her freshman year in order to become a professional road racer. Since the decision, the devout Christian - Paulson sports a crucifix-and-praying-hands tattoo on her right arm - has moved to New York City.

De Reuck, who won the 2004 USA title at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials at a record 39-years-old, led the diminutive Paulson by 1:40 at the 20 mile stripe, but the Oregon native stormed the races final - uphill - miles to seal the win.

Team USA Minnesota's Kristen Nicolini Lehmkuhle finished third in a debut 2:35:09. Twenty-nine U.S. women qualified for the 2012 Olympic Marathon Trials in the event by running faster than 2:46:00.

In the Twin Cities Marathon men's Open race, which was not a USA Championship event, Jason Hartmann of Grand Rapids, Mich. grabbed his own come-from-behind victory in 2:12:09. Hartmann caught 2004 Twin Cities Marathon champion Augustus Kavutu at 23 miles and motored on to a 54 second victory and a personal record.

Tracy Lokken of Marquette, Mich. won his second USA Masters men's title in 2:22:34, while Reuben Chesang of Kenya was the overall masters winner (2:15:24) and 6th overall.

28th Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon: USA Women's & USA Masters Championships
Minneapolis, MN, Sunday, October 4, 2009

WOMEN
1) Ilsa Paulson (NY), 2:31:49, $26,500
2) Colleen De Reuck, 45, CO, 2:32:37, $24,750
3) Kristen Nicolini Lehmkuhle (MN), 2:35:09, $11,100
4) Nicole Blaesser (WA), 2:35:09, $7400
5) Sally Meyerhoff (OR), 2:35:49, $5300
6) Robyn Friedman (IA), 2:36:44, $4200
7) Sheri Piers (ME), 2:37:24, $3350
8) Camille Herron (IN), 2:38:23, $2100
9) Mary Akor (CA), 2:38:51, $1000
10) Wendi Ray (WI), 2:38:58, $500

MEN
1) Jason Hartmann (MI), 2:12:09, $27,000
2) Augustus Kavutu (KEN), 2:13:03, $15,000
3) John Njoroge (KEN), 2:13:26, $10,000
4) Joseph Mutinda (KEN), 2:13:47, $7000
5) Grigoriy Andreev (RUS), 2:13:59, $5000
6) Reuben Chesang, 46, KEN, 2:15:24, $5500
7) Luke Watson (PA), 2:15:29, $4250
8) Antonio Vega (MN), 2:15:45, $3600
9) Tyler Sigl (WI), 2:17:28, $1900
10) Mario Macias (CO), 2:18:34, $1300

MASTERS Men (40+)
1) Chesang, see above
2) Tracy Lokken, 44, MI, 2:22:34, $8500

Deeper results and more at: www.mtcmarathon.org

Race record of more than 21,000 finishers in country's second largest 10 mile

ARLINGTON, Va. - (October 4, 2009) - American distance star Samia Akbar (left, PhotoRun) had some unfinished business to close at Sunday's Army Ten-Miler at the Pentagon.

Cheated out of the event record during the 2005 race by a bomb scare which turned the nation's second largest 10 mile footrace into an 11.2-mile fun run, Akbar promised that day four years ago to one day come back and nail it.

As fortune would have it, her fall racing season was not quite aligning for a marathon attempt so she ran a half-marathon in her birthplace of Philadelphia last month and set her sights on Army near Herndon, Va. home.

With perfect racing conditions and great conviction, the 27-year-old American University graduate shattered the 14-year-old event record by a huge 55 seconds in 55:25.

"It's four years in the making," said Akbar, coached by Alan Webb's former coach Scott Raczko. "It's a really special race. It's the Army, the military, people come from around the world. Last time I ran here it was a bomb scare and nobody's time counted. I was thinking today that my time was a big cheer for all those whose times didn't count in 2005."

By the time Akbar completed, another event record had been set in the 24th running of the Army's pride and joy.

Alene Reta, an Ethiopian training in Manhattan, chopped 33 seconds off the men's event record, turning back the very man who set that mark in 2004, Dan Browne. In the process, Reta knocked some 18 seconds off his personal best for the distance with his 46 minute, 59 second performance.

"I heard he was coming," the 6-foot-2, 140-pound Reta said of Browne, champion here in 1997, 1998 and 2004. "You never know who will be first or second. My plan was I want to win. Everybody comes to the race thinking they want to win."

Browne, the intense competitor that he is, certainly came to win. Instead, Reta forced Browne to his limits, blasting the first mile in 4:35, three miles near the Watergate Hotel at 14:00 and 23:14 for five near the Washington Monument.

The mid-split put Reta some 32 seconds ahead of the record and left Browne gasping for air after coming down from altitude training.

"Every day is different and you never know who you are going to complete against," said Browne, a 2004 double Olympian who is stationed near San Diego as he re-entered the Army's World Class Athlete Program. "I was pushed harder than I've ever been pushed here. I just put it all out there."

From the beginning out of the Pentagon, it was immediately a three-man race with Reta (age 27), Browne (35) and Tesfaye Girma (27), a fellow Ethiopian living in New York City and a frequent competitor to Reta.

After five miles, while Reta was slowly pulling away from Browne, Girma was losing ground in third. By eight miles along the National Mall on Constitution Avenue, Reta was ahead by 25 seconds and Browne was struggling in second with Girma far behind.

Then Girma surged and caught Browne in the next half mile, on the long, lonely 14th Street Bridge. Girma attempted to reel in Reta but the gap was too big. He still did finish under Browne's record in 47:20, with Browne third in 47:49.

Defending champion Reginaldo Campos, Jr. did not fare so well this year, ending up 14th in 51:13. However, his Brazilian Army Team defeated Browne's All-Army team by three minutes in the International Army Competition by placing 5-6-8-11-14. The 2008 runner-up Steve Hallinan of Washington was seventh in 49:34.

Moments later, Akbar gave the Army another reason to cheer with her record. She didn't lead from the start, going out conservatively while early leader Muluye Gurmu, a 25-year-old Ethiopian training in nearby Silver Spring, Md., shot out in 5:10 for the first mile and 16:28 for three.

A mile later, Akbar moved into the lead and relaxed through a five-mile split of 27:44. Up 26 seconds on Susan Molloy's 1995 record, Akbar never looked back, and had she, Akbar would not have seen any other women anyways.

Katie Read of Arlington was second in 56:39, Gurmu third in 57:20, Beijing Olympic marathoner Gabriela Trana of Costa Rica dropped a spot from last year to fourth in 58:56 and Emily Potter of the World Class Athlete Program stationed at Fort Lee, Va. was fifth in 59:47.

The husband-wife team of Sergey and Elena Kaledin swept the Masters divisions (40 and older). The Russians from Tacoma, Wash. clocked 52:34 and 1:00:35, respectively. She was ninth among women.

Some 21,654 athletes started and a race record 21,232 finished among the 30,000-plus registered.

24th Army Ten-Miler
Washington, DC, Sunday, October 4, 2009

MEN
1) Alene Reta (ETH / NY), 46:59*
2) Tesfaye Girma (ETH / NY), 47:20
3) Dan Browne, (USA / CA), 47:49
4) Fikadu Lemma, (ETH / MD), 49:16
5) Jose Ferreira (BRA), 49:20
6) Robson De Lima (BRA), 49:28
7) Steve Hallinan (USA / DC), 49:34
8) Cicero Da Rocha (BRA), 49:55
9) Matt Debole (USA / DC), 50:00
10) Justin Lutz (USA / MA), 50:11
*event record (previous record, 47:32, Dan Browne (USA), 2004)

MASTERS Men (40+)
1) Sergey Kaledin (RUS / WA), 52:34
2) Edmund Burke (USA / MD), 52:50
3) Marty Muchow (USA/ NY), 55:09

WOMEN
1) Samia Akbar (USA / VA), 55:25*
2) Katie Read (USA / VA), 56:39
3) Muluye Gurmu (ETH / MD), 57:20
4) Gabriela Trana (CRC), 58:56
5) Emily Potter (USA / VA), 59:47
6) Lauren Centrowitz (USA / VA), 59:56
7) Erin O'Mara (USA / MI), 1:00:06
8) Renee High (USA / VA), 1:00:23
9) Elena Kaledin (RUS / WA), 1:00:35
10) Caitlin Chrisman (USA / NC), 1:01:03
*event record (previous record, 56:20, Susan Molloy (USA), 1995)

MASTERS Women (40+)
1) Kaledin, see above
2) Danielle Russell (USA / VA), 1:01:59
3) Laura Garza, (USA / VA), 1:02:45

Complete results at: www.armytenmiler.com