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In this edition:
Keflezighi, Kastor Capture Dodge Rock 'n' Roll San Jose 1/2 Marathon Crowns
Trafeh, Cherobon-Bawcom Take USA 10 Mile Titles
Malakwen, Bifa Win 30th Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon
Kipkosgei, Bedada Smash Event Records at Woodrow Wilson Bridge Half Marathon
UPCOMING EVENTS
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Ragnar Relay Pennsylvania, Lancaster, PA, October 7
Kids Running America 1 Mile, Denver, CO, October 8
XTERRA Marathon of Trail Races, Colorado Springs, CO, Oct 8
Trinity Trot CALF, Fort Worth, TX, October 8
NYRR Half-Marathon Grand Prix: Staten Island, NY, October 9
Army Ten-Miler, Washington, DC, October 9
Run Wild for Autism 5K, Baltimore, MD, October 9
Healing in Heels Dash for Breast Cancer, Annapolis, MD, Oct 9
Tyler Rose Marathon, Half & 5K, Tyler, TX, October 9
Sports Authority Rock 'n' Roll Denver Marathon & 1/2, CO, Oct 9
Long Beach ICB Marathon, Long Beach, CA, October 9
40th Portland Marathon, Portland, OR, October 9
Columbia Muddy Buddy: San Jose, CA, October 9
35th Tufts Health Plan 10K for Women, Boston, MA, October 10
USA Women's Championship / USA Running Circuit finale
Southern Odyssey Relay, Atlanta, GA, October 14
Running USA Regional Summit, Richmond, VA, October 22
Keflezighi, Kastor Capture Dodge Rock 'n' Roll San Jose 1/2 Marathon Crowns
At 6th edition, ten athletes qualify for the 2012 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials hosted by Houston in January
By Dan Cruz, Competitor Group
SAN JOSE, Calif. - (October 2, 2011) - On a perfect autumn morning in the Bay Area, Olympic medalists and Mammoth Track Club teammates Meb Keflezighi (San Diego HS, UCLA) and Deena Kastor (Agoura HS, Arkansas) cruised to victory at the 2011 Dodge Rock 'n' Roll San Jose Half Marathon. Keflezighi delighted a cheering crowd of well-wishers along the 13.1-mile route by winning handily in 1 hour, 2 minutes and 17 seconds - over two minutes ahead of runner-up Giliat Ghebray (James Logan HS, Union City; California)(1:03:38) from Union City.
Keflezighi led a lead pack of five runners through an opening mile of 4:35. At mile 3 the 2004 Olympic Marathon silver medalist picked up the pace, running a series of sub-4:40 miles to open up a sizable lead on the rest of the field, one he held all the way to the finish line.
"We ran a pretty quick first mile of 4:35 and then after that 4:50 and after that I picked it up," said Keflezighi, who won for the third straight time in San Jose. "I was making good pace. It is kind of tough to run on your own sometimes, but I am happy to be here and get a good tune-up. It couldn't have been any better. A lot people were cheering 'Go Meb' and it was just awesome. My Mom is here and my brother lives here, a lot of the people are aware of what I have done and it's nice to have the course coming back with the crowd. Running back the energy was awesome."
It paid off in a solid tune up for the 36-year-old Keflezighi, who also won the 2009 ING New York City Marathon - the first American do so in 27 years. His time tied Mo Trafeh (Duarte HS, Arizona)as the second fastest American half-marathon of the year.
"I run to win, which means challenge myself and don't hold back. It was good today," added Keflezighi, who is preparing for the ING New York City Marathon in November. "I feel like I gave my best effort to be able to keep going, stay healthy and finish strong. People have different goals and different aspirations to go and with 10,000 out here running it's awesome, and it's awesome to see people fit and strong and it was a beautiful California weather day."
As much as the spectators enjoyed Keflezighi's victory, they also were treated to a comeback performance from Deena Kastor, the only American woman to ever break 2:20 in the marathon, won the women's race in 1:12:23.
"It was just awesome," said Kastor, who is coming back from maternity leave after giving birth to her daughter, Piper, in February. "San Jose really came out and showed their true colors today - the communities that we ran through, the neighborhoods everyone came out in their front yards cheering on all of us runners. It was really great to have everyone out here supporting the race this morning."
She continued: "I thought I could run around 1:11 or 1:12 today and I felt good out there. It didn't take too much out of me so it will be good to get back into training this week and use this as a stepping stone for the Olympic Trials in January. The running community is really special in that we can all be a part of this together-from the elite runners trying to post qualifying times for the Olympic Trials to the people just out enjoying the bands. We all know how to have a good time out there and San Jose was a wonderful host for the event."
One of California's fastest road races, the Dodge Rock 'n' Roll San Jose Half Marathon is the site of both the men's and women's half-marathon records for the State of California.
Runners from all 50 states and 14 countries participated in this morning's race, including a group of California's fastest runners, with ten athletes qualifying for the Olympic Marathon Trials in January 2012 in Houston. Three-time Super Bowl champion and race founder Roger Craig completed his sixth straight San Jose race, along with San Jose resident and soccer star Brandi Chastain.
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 Big Head Todd and the Monsters.
The Dodge Rock 'n' Roll San Jose Half Marathon will take place on Sunday, October 7, 2012.
6th Dodge Rock 'n' Roll San Jose 1/2 Marathon
San Jose, CA, October 2, 2011
MEN
1) Meb Keflezighi (San Diego HS; UCLA; CA), 1:02:17, $2000*
2) Giliat Ghebray (James Logan HS, Union City; California; CA), 1:03:38, $1000*
3) Sergio Reyes (Cuesta College 2000; CA), 1:04:20, $250
4) Moses Waweru (KEN), 1:04:31
5) Daniel Tapia (North Monterey County HS; Hartnell College; CA), 1:04:41, $250*
WOMEN
1) Deena Kastor (Agoura HS; Arkansas; CA), 1:12:23, $2000*
2) Clara (Horowitz) Peterson (Head Royce HS, Oakland; Duke; CA), 1:15:23, $1000*
3) Brooke Wells (Carmel HS 2002, California; CA), 1:16:15, $500*
4) Julia (Stamps) Mallon (Santa Rosa HS 1997, Stanford; CA), 1:17:21
5) Jessica Brothers (CA), 1:18:40
*Includes Northern California based prize money
Complete results, photos and more at: http://runrocknroll.competitor.com/san-jose
Trafeh, Cherobon-Bawcom Take USA 10 Mile Titles
True wins Men's USA Running Circuit grand prix crown at Medtronic TC 10 Mile
By Charlie Mahler, Running USA wire
MINNEAPOLIS - (October 2, 2011) - A pair of naturalized U.S. citizens earned national titles at the USA 10 Mile Championship held in conjunction with the 13th Medtronic TC 10 Mile on Sunday morning.
Mo Trafeh (Duarte HS; Arizona), 26, a Moroccan who immigrated to the United States in 1999 and became a citizen in 2008, ran away from a large pack of contenders on the final mile of the challenging point-to-point run between downtown Minneapolis and the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul, winning his first USA 10 Mile title in 46 minutes, 46 seconds and leading five runners under 47 minutes and the more than 7,500 race finishers.
Janet Cherobon-Bawcom, a Kenyan who earned her U.S. citizenship last November, clocked 54:15 to power away from a women's lead pack that included the defending USA 10 Mile champ Katie McGregor and 2008 Olympian Blake Russell, a former Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon winner.
Trafeh, the 2011 USA Half Marathon and 15K champion, and Cherobon-Bawcom, who won the USA 20K title last month, each earned $12,000 for their victories. Trafeh will also cash a check for an additional $10,000 as the winner of the event's "Equalizer Bonus", for finishing ahead of women's champ Cherobon-Bawcom, who, with the rest of the women's field, received a seven-minute head-start over the men.
Trafeh's first appearance at the front of the men's pack - when he surged to a 4:30 fourth mile after the pack passed the three-mile flag in 14:15 - came with the "Equalizer" in mind.
"To be honest," the Duarte, Calif. resident said, "I saw, after three miles, that the pace was a little bit slow. So I tried to help the guys - to help the guys and myself - catch the first girl, because, if we kept going at that pace we would not have caught the girl."
If Trafeh was thinking about the women in the early-going, he couldn't help but focus on the men as the race wore on. His efforts to break Abdi Abdirahman, who won USA titles on the course in 2007 and 2009, shook off neither the three-time Olympian nor the large pack of contenders that lurked within 10-meters.
"When I was leading [later in the race], I though, man, Abdi broke away," Trafeh said. "But, I looked back later on and I could see six or eight guys right there only ten meters behind. I was, like, no way!"
The pack, which included eventual runner-up Ben True, the 2011 USA 5K champ, and third-placer Brett Gotcher (Aptos HS; Stanford), the USA 25K runner-up in 2010, reorganized around Trafeh and Abdirahman in the eighth mile. As the men stated working their way through the fastest of the women's racers, James Strang took over as pace-maker before giving way to a long pull at the front by 2011 USA 10K champion Ed Moran.
It was Trafeh's move in the final mile that proved decisive, however. He finally turned the pack into a string of chasers that laced its way through the top women. At nine and a half miles, Trafeh caught the lead woman, Cherobon-Bawcom, and dashed for home.
True ran 46:48 for second; Gotcher followed next in 46:51.
Cherobon-Bawcom admitted she and the rest of the women may have kept the men in the Equalizer race with their conservative early pace.
"I thought it might be a really long day just running by myself," the Rome. Ga. resident said. "Nobody really wanted to push the pace, so I guess I just waited."
When the lead women's pack of five runners passed the half-way point in 27:26, however, they'd already given up more than four minutes of their head-start to the men. After the seven mile mark, Cherobon-Bawcom broke away from runner-up Julie Culley, who clocked 54:28, and Russell, putting the women's title in her hands, if not the Equalizer.
Defending champ and local favorite McGregor was fourth in 55:00.
"I thought the men might even catch me at nine miles, because we went out way too slow," Cherobon-Bawcom admitted. "Probably, we had to run 5:20s to beat them."
The 33-year-olds' math is pretty good - it would have taken a women running slightly under 5:23 per mile to maintain their margin.
Like many in the event, both Trafeh and Cherobon-Bawcom are pointing to the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials for their next major race.
The USA 10 Mile Championships were also the final stop for the men on the 2011 USA Running Circuit with True taking the grand prix title with 60 points, worth $6000. Aaron Braun (Flagstaff, Ariz.) finished second in the standings with 50 points ($4000) and Trafeh took third with 45 points ($2500).
With one race (USA Women's 10K) remaining on the women's USARC, Cherobon-Bawcom is tied for first in the women's standings with Jen Rhines (Mammoth Lakes, Calif.) with 30 points each.
13th Medtronic TC 10 Mile: USA Men & Women's Championships
Minneapolis, MN, October 2, 2011
MEN
1) Mo Trafeh (CA), 46:46, $22,000*
2) Ben True (NH), 46:48, $7500
3) Brett Gotcher (AZ), 46:51, $5000
4) Ed Moran (VA), 46:51, $2000
5) James Strang (CO), 46:54, $1500
6) Abdi Abdirahman (AZ), 47:00, $750
7) Chris Barnicle (MA), 47:06, $500
8) Aaron Braun (AZ), 47:10, $275
9) Scott Smith (AZ), 47:12, $250
10) Ryan Vail (CO), 47:13, $225
*includes $10,000 Equalizer Bonus as first runner across the finish line
WOMEN
1) Janet Cherobon-Bawcom (GA), 54:15, $12,000
2) Julie Culley (NJ), 54:28, $7500
3) Blake Russell (CA), 54:44, $5000
4) Katie McGregor (MN), 55:00, $2000
5) Sarah Porter (NC), 55:01, $1500
6) Meghan Armstrong Peyton (MN), 55:09, $750
7) Molly Pritz (MI), 55:12, $500
8) Serena Burla (MO), 55:18, $275
9) Dot McMahan (MI), 55:39, $250
10) Kristen Fryburg-Zaitz (CO), 55:39, $225
Full results and more at: www.tcmevents.org
Malakwen, Bifa Win 30th Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon
Lokken, Piers USA Masters champions on a beautiful fall day in Minnesota; more than 8,500 marathon finishers
By Charlie Mahler, Running USA wire
MINNEAPOLIS - (October 2, 2011) - Kenya's Sammy Malakwen and Ethiopia's Yeshimebet Tadesse Bifa won the men's and women's titles in glorious autumn conditions at the 30th running of the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon on Sunday morning.
Malakwen, who often makes a home in northern Minnesota when he is racing in the United States, ran 2 hours, 13 minutes, 11 seconds on the scenic course that runs from downtown Minneapolis to the state capitol in St. Paul.
Tadesse Bifa became the second-straight Twin Cities women's champion from her country, following in the footsteps of 2010 champ Buzunesh Deba with a 2:28:24 clocking, the seventh-fastest women's performance on the course.
Start-time temperature where in the low 40s under a cloudless sky.
Malakwen and three other contenders stayed in a pack until the final mile of the race, before the 33-year-old's final push separated him from his challengers. Countryman Joseph Mutinda, the fourth place finisher at Twin Cities in 2009, finished second in 2:13:24, while fellow Kenyan Weldon Kirui, only 21-years-old, was third in 2:13:31.
"At 25 miles, I decided to run away from them," the third-place finisher at this year's Grandma's Marathon said. "I was ahead, I was leading, and I knew I was going to win."
Malakwen described fighting through leg cramps in the early-going and then weathering surges from within the pack as the final mile approached.
"When I felt the cramps, I just rolled my legs at the same pace," he explained. "No sprinting or I would ruin my cramps."
Tadesse Bifa might have liked some of the competitive company Malakwen enjoyed in the latter miles as it could have pushed her to the time she had targeted for the race.
"I had initially planned to run under 2:26," Tadesse Bifa said through an interpreter, "but I'm grateful for having run as quickly as God willed that I run. I ran the time that I ran because I was uncontested in the last miles."
Tadesse Bifa, 23, ran alone for the last nine miles of the race and ran the second half of the course, which is hillier, just over two minutes slower than the first.
"The continual up and down in the last ten miles of the race bothered me toward the end," the 2010 Dubai Marathon champ admitted.
In the USA Masters Marathon Championships held in conjunction with the event for the 21st consecutive year, Tracy Lokken, 46, of Marquette, Mich. won his third USA Masters title, running 2:24:44. Oddly, Lokken also won titles here in 2007 and 2009.
Defending USA Masters champ Mbarak Hussein, 46, a three-time USA Masters champ and a two-time winner of the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon dropped out of the race at 18 miles after experiencing leg cramps.
In women's 40 and older race, Sheri Piers of Falmouth, Maine, 40, won her first USA Masters Marathon crown in 2:37:42, finishing in eighth place overall.
30th Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon: USA Masters Championships
Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN, October 2, 2011
MEN
1) Sammy Malakwen (KEN), 2:13:11, $15,000
2) Joseph Mutinda (KEN), 2:13:24, $10,000
3) Weldon Kirui (KEN), 2:13:31, $7000
4) Julius Koskei Kibet (KEN), 2:13:38, $5000
5) Guor Marial (USA / AZ), 2:14:32, $4000
6) Philip Metto (KEN), 2:14:35, $3000
7) Fred Tumbo (KEN), 2:14:59, $2000
8) Pius Nyantika (KEN), 2:15:50, $1000
9) Jeff Weiss (USA / PA), 2:17:22, $750
10) George Towett (KEN), 2:18:19, $500
MASTERS MEN (40+)
1) Tracy Lokken, 46, MI, 2:24:44, $9000
2) Malcolm Campbell, 40, GA, 2:25:58, $5800
3) Tony Torres, 42, CA, 2:27:08, $4000
WOMEN
1) Yeshimebet Tadesse Bifa (ETH), 2:28:24, $15,000
2) Nadezdha Leonteva (RUS), 2:32:53, $10,000
3) Emily Harrison (USA / AZ), 2:32:55, $7000
4) Doreen Kitaka (KEN), 2:33:53, $5000
5) Mary Akor (Muir HS, Pasadena 1994; CS Dominguez Hills ?) (USA / CA), 2:37:22, $4000
6) Truphena Tarus (KEN), 2:37:24, $3000
7) Erin Vergara (USA / IN), 2:37:31, $2000
8) Sheri Piers, 40, USA / ME, 2:37:42, $10,000
9) Elena Nagovitsyna (RUS), 2:38:59, $750
10) Gina Slaby (USA / AZ), 2:39:35, $500
MASTERS WOMEN (40+)
1) Piers, see above
2) Susan Empey, 43, WA, 2:45:27, $5800
3) Shannon McHale, 40, CT, 2:45:48, $4000
Full results and more at: www.tcmevents.org
Kipkosgei, Bedada Smash Event Records at Woodrow Wilson Bridge Half Marathon
Four Americans earn U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials qualifiers
By Steve Nearman
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. - (October 2, 2011) - Moses Kigen Kipkosgei flew to America from his homeland of Kenya for just one reason - to win the second Woodrow Wilson Bridge Half Marathon presented by WillPower Sport & Wellness.
He triumphed in huge fashion, riding perfect weather conditions of upper 40s with little humidity in between a weekend of chilling rain showers.
After breaking from defending champion Derese Deniboba by three miles, the 28-year-old Eldoret resident training for next month's New York City Marathon kept Deniboba at bay and crossed the finish line in 1 hour, 2 minutes, 37 seconds, knocking 2:07 off Deniboba's event record time from last year.
Deniboba tried to reel in Kipkosgei throughout the 13.1-mile footrace from Mount Vernon, Va. to National Harbor, Md. ending up second in 1:02:56.
"The first 3K was a little bit slow," said Kipkosgei, who was third in the ING New York City Marathon last year. "But from 5K I decided to just go for time. The course was good - I like the ups and downs."
Bekelech Bedada, a New York City resident from Ethiopia, was not to be outdone by Kipkosgei. The 19-year-old broke away from Kenyan Gladys Asiba by three miles as well and broke Catherine Ndereba's event record by 33 seconds in 1:12:44. Asiba placed second in 1:15:58.
Both Kipkosgei and Bedada earned $1000 for the win and $300 for the time bonus.
In fact, the top seven men all earned time bonuses for sub-1:05 while the top four Americans - Jordan Horn and Danny Mercado of Team USA Arizona in Flagstaff, Ariz., Bobby Mack of Raleigh, N.C. and Ricky Flynn of Lynchburg, Va. - each ran personal bests and earned an additional $1000 for qualifying for the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials hosted by Houston in January 2012. In a competitive race for the Americans, Horn was third overall in 1:03:53, also earning $1000 for top American, while Mercado was fifth overall in 1:04:03, banking another $500.
Michelle Miller of Damascus, Md. was top American woman in 1:19:43. Amy McDonaugh from Irmo, S.C., a 34-year-old visually-impaired athlete who earlier in the year won the Flying Pig Marathon in Cincinnati, led 11 athletes in the NIB Visually-Impaired National Half Marathon Championship in 1:24:00. Defending champion Matthew Rodjom of Alexandria, Va. was next in 1:24:23.
Laura Greeson of Alexandria, Va. and Patrick Kuhlmann of Arlington, Va. took the Masters honors (40 and older) in 1:14:14 and 1:30:33, respectively.
Ultramarathoner Michael Wardian of Arlington and Kara Christenson of Alexandria were winners of the Potomac Valley Association / USA Track & Field Half Marathon Championship, earning $300 apiece. Alex Hetherington of Vienna and Joann Johnson of Herndon were top PVA masters.
Just seven hours before the start of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge Half Marathon, 15 U.S. servicemen completed the WWBH Shadow Race at four Iraqi locations- Baghdad, Ramadi, Fallujah and East Baghdad. The races were organized by Major Shannon Way, who ran the inaugural Woodrow Wilson Bridge Half Marathon last year prior to being deployed to Iraq.
"Sometime during the night, 15 runners crossed a self-monitored finish line," Major Way reported. "Runners in Baghdad calling out to other runners who had GPSs to find out if they had completed the run. They congratulated each other and then shared a moment for photos with their latest addition to their race trophies - the Wilson Bridge Half finishers medal."
2nd Woodrow Wilson Bridge Half-Marathon
National Harbor, MD, Sunday, October 2, 2011
MEN
1) Moses Kigen Kipkosgei (KEN), 1:02:37, $1300
2) Derese Deniboba (ETH), 1:02:56, $800
3) Jordan Horn (USA / AZ), 1:03:53, $2350
4) Abiyot Endale (ETH), 1:04:01, $500
5) Danny Mercado (West Covina HS; Oregon) (USA / AZ), 1:04:03, $1900
6) Bobby Mack (USA / NC), 1:04:13, $1600
7) Ricky Flynn (USA / VA), 1:04:15, $1500
8) Michael Wardian (USA / VA), 1:09:16, $300
9) Seife Geletu (USA / DC), 1:10:08
10. David Burnham (USA / VA), 1:10:51
*course record (previous record, 1:04:44, Derese Deniboba (ETH), 2010)
MASTERS MEN (40+)
1) Patrick Kuhlmann (VA), 1:14:14, $200
2) Alex Hetherington (VA), 1:17:11, $150
3) Paul Willis (NY), 1:19:16, $100
WOMEN
1) Bekelech Bedada (ETH) 1:12:44*, $1300
2) Gladys Asiba (KEN), 1:15:58, $500
3) Michelle Miller (USA / MD), 1:19:43, $1050
4) Mekides Bekele (ETH) 1:20:04, $200
5) Amy McDonaugh (USA / SC), 1:24:01, $600
6) Lisa Cron (USA / VA), 1:24:03, $300
7) Michelle Harburg (USA / DC), 1:26:55, $200
8) Lauren Woodall (USA / DC), 1:29:37, $100
9) Laura Greeson (USA / VA), 1:30:33, $400
10) Sarah Brown (USA / VA), 1:30:45
*course record (previous record, 1:13:17, Catherine Ndereba (KEN), 2010)
MASTERS WOMEN (40+)
1) Greeson, see above
2) Susan Graham Gray (PA), 1:33:47, $150
3) Gillian Walker (VA), 1:35:17, $100
Deeper results and more at: www.wilsonbridgehalf.com
Contact Information
Ryan Lamppa, Running USA Media Director, ryan@runningusa.org, (805) 696-6232
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