World-class field ready for Falmouth

World-class field ready for Falmouth

Published on Monday, August 03, 2009

FALMOUTH, Mass. -- A strong field of world-class athletes will line up for the start of the 37th CIGNA Falmouth Road Race on Sunday, Aug. 9. Two-time Falmouth runner-up and 2004 Olympic silver medalist, Meb Keflezighi, pictured right, as well as several other elite runners from around the world, will race along Martha's Vineyard Sound from Woods Hole to Falmouth Heights.

Keflezighi, of Mammoth Lakes, Calif., shadowed eventual winner Tadese Tola of Ethiopia for six miles before finishing in second place. It was the second straight year that Keflezighi was runner-up in Falmouth, and the best finish, along with his 2007 effort, by an American man since Ed Eyestone was second in 1990. On July 25, he won the U.S. 7-mile championship at the Bix road race in Davenport, Iowa. Tola will not be returning to defend his title, opting to focus on his training for the N.Y. City Half-Marathon.

In winning the silver medal for the United States in the marathon at the 2004 Athens Olympics, Keflezighi became the first American man to medal in the event since Frank Shorter took the silver in 1976. He is also the U.S. record holder for 10,000 meters at 27:13.98 and has won numerous U.S. championships.

"I had a great time in Falmouth last summer. Everyone treated me so well and I'm excited to come back," said Keflezighi. "I'm running pretty well and looking forward to racing."

Also in the men's elite field will be Edward Muge of Kenya, who led for more than six miles in the 2008 race until he was forced to stop due to heat exhaustion. He won last weekend’s Beach-to-Beacon 10k in Portland, Maine, for the second straight year. His countryman, Boaz Cheboiywo, third last year, is also entered and has said he is coming here to win.

Other men's contenders include last year's second American and sixth overall, James Carney of Longmont, Colo. Moroccan Riduane Harroufi, two-time Bolder-Boulder 10k champion and winner of the recent Boilermaker 15k in Utica, N.Y., is also expected to run well, along with former Falmouth champions Gilbert Okari and James Koskei; Samuel Ndereba of Kenya, who was fourth last year; and world-class marathoners Felix and Richard Limo, running their first Falmouth. Both men have run under 2:07 for the 26.2-mile distance.

On the woman's side, the race is wide open without last year’s winner Edith Masai of Kenya, whose visa has been held up by the state department. Mamita Daska of Ethiopia, fourth last year, will be among the favorites, along with Kenyan Edna Kiplagat, who was second in the recent Crazy 8s, Kingsport, Tenn.

Other challengers will include two-time Falmouth winner and four-time Olympian Colleen De Reuck from Boulder, Colo.; Renee Metivier Baillie of Flagstaff, Ariz., fifth last year, who recently ran a personal best 5,000 meters in Liege, Belgium; and Rebecca Donaghue, State College, Penn., 10th in 2008, who also set a personal best at the same 5,000 in Liege.

The seven mile course begins in the quaint village of Woods Hole, rolls past the spectacular Nobska Lighthouse, and continues along Martha's Vineyard Sound to finish at the ball field in Falmouth Heights.

Winner of the men's and women's races receive $10,000. The first U.S. man and woman will also receive $5,000. In all, over $90,000 in prize money will be awarded. The top 10 U.S. citizens will win $29,600 for their efforts. A $1,000 bonus also is available for any runner who breaks an open course record.

The race was founded in 1973 by Tommy Leonard after watching Frank Shorter win the Olympic Marathon. Leonard was honored as Citizen of the Year by the towns of Holyoke and Falmouth this spring. He also received the Boston Athletic Association's Patriot Award at ceremonies during the week before the Boston Marathon.

Olympic gold and silver medalist Frank Shorter will be in Falmouth to run, along with gold medalist Joan Samuelson and Olympian Bill Rodgers.

This will be CIGNA's fourth year as the title sponsor. The Philadelphia-based employee benefits company has extended its commitment to the race through 2010.

About the CIGNA Falmouth Road Race

The Falmouth Road Race was founded in 1973 and has been named the "Best USA Road Race" by Runner's World magazine. It has also been featured in Life Magazine and Sports Illustrated, as well as on CBS television and ESPN. In 2005, it was named in Sports Illustrated "One of the 25 essential things to do in the summer." It was the only road race listed. Proceeds from the race benefit Falmouth school programs and youth organizations. The race annually receives more than 25,000 requests for entry forms and fills its field of 10,000 in less than a week. For more information visit www.FalmouthRoadRace.com.

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