Month: June 2020

ETHIOPIAN ATHLETE SISAY DISQUALIFIED FROM ING NYC MARATHON FOR DOPING

By David Monti

(c) 2012 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved (used with permission)



NEW YORK (31-May) -- The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) and the New York Road Runners 

announced today that the Ethiopian marathon runner Ezkyas Sisay 

had been disqualified from the ING New York City Marathon last November for doping.  Sisay, 23, 

who finished ninth in the race in his marathon debut in 2:11:04, 

was found guilty of using synthetic erythropoietin, or EPO, and has accepted a two-year suspension.



"Sisay's two-year period of ineligibility, began on November 6, 2011, the date the doping offense occurred." 

read a statement from USADA released to the media 

today.  "As a result of the violation, Sisay has been disqualified from all competitive results achieved on 

and subsequent to November 6, 2011, including 

forfeiture of any medals, points, and prizes."



The New York Road Runners confirmed through a statement today that Sisay had not received any prize money --payments are always withheld when a doping case 

is being resolved-- and that American Ed Moran (2:11:47) and Swiss Viktor Röthlin (2:12:26) would be promoted to ninth and tenth place, respectively.  Both 

men will receive adjustments in their prize money to reflect their higher placings.  All other male finishers in the race will be promoted by one position.



"NYRR fully supports today's two-year suspension of Ezkyas Sisay of Ethiopia for his anti-doping violation after testing positive at last year's ING New York 

City Marathon, where he had finished in ninth place," a New York Road Runners spokesman said through a written statement.  "NYRR has always been a staunch 

supporter of drug and EPO testing at its events. Sisay will be immediately removed from all official results of the Marathon."



Sisay --who can be easily spotted during races with his long dreadlocks-- was also disqualified from two races he won last January: the Carlsbad Half-Marathon 

in California (1st place, 1:04:43), and the Mountain's T's Invitational 3000m in Flagstaff, Ariz. (1st place, 8:18.60).  At the Carlsbad race he won $1500 in 

prize money which he is required to return.



The ING New York City Marathon is an IAAF Gold Label race and part of the World Marathon Majors series.  Drug testing is required at all IAAF Gold Label races 

which, when coupled with regular out-of-competition testing, helps reinforce the the global effort to stop doping.



"The United States is a key country for the IAAF not only because of the quality of its national elite athletes but also because it hosts major athletics events 

and attracts international athletes from all over the world," said Dr. Gabriel Dollé, Director of the IAAF Medical and Anti-Doping Department.  "It is therefore

 crucial for the IAAF to be able to rely on an efficient and innovative anti-doping agency such as USADA, committed to eradicate doping on its territory. This 

case illustrates our joint efforts towards this common objective."



NOTE: Race Results Weekly provides professional athletes consulting to the ING New York City Marathon and the New York Road Runners --Ed.



PHOTO: Ezkyas Sisay after the 2011 Honolulu Marathon with athlete Misiker Mekonnin Demissie 

Tokyo Marathon Joins World Marathon Majors

Tokyo Marathon will be the Sixth Event in the Series, along with
Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, and New York City

New York, NY – The World Marathon Majors® (WMM) today
announced the addition of the Tokyo Marathon to the World Marathon
Majors Series. The seventh Tokyo Marathon, which will be held on
February 24, 2013, will be the first race in the 2013 – 2014 World
Marathon Majors scoring period. The Tokyo Marathon is the first World
Marathon Majors event to be based in Asia.

“Tokyo is honored to join the World Marathon Majors,” said Tad Hayano,
Tokyo Marathon Foundation Race Director. “As the first marathon from
Asia, we will continuously make an effort to expand the brand of the WMM
in Asia. Likewise, as the one of the World Marathon Majors, we believe
that the Tokyo Marathon can make an even more positive contribution to
the world marathon scene by working with our new partners.”

Founded on January 23, 2006 by the Boston, Virgin London, BMW Berlin,
Bank of America Chicago, and ING New York City marathons, the World
Marathon Majors is a race series offering a $1 million prize purse to be
split equally between the top male and female marathoners in the world.
In addition to the six other races, the IAAF World Championships and
Olympic marathons also serve as scoring events in the years in which
they are held. Athletes earn points by placing among the top five in
each race during a two-year scoring period. The champions of the WMM
will be the man and woman who score the greatest number of points during
the two-year scoring period.

In a joint statement from the World Marathon Majors Race Directors, Tom
Grilk, Executive Director of the Boston Athletic Association and Boston
Marathon, added, “We at World Marathon Majors are delighted to have
Tokyo join our group. The Japanese have a magnificent history and
tradition in the marathon, and the Japanese people have long embraced
the marathon and distance running in general. They are among the finest
fans in the world for our sport.”

The inaugural Tokyo Marathon was held on February 18, 2007 and drew
95,044 applicants and 30,870 participants. Kenya’s Daniel Njenga
(2:09:45) and Japan’s Hitomi Niiya (2:31:01) were the race’s first
champions. Since 2007, the Tokyo Marathon has grown to over 300,000
applicants and nearly 36,000 participants. In addition to serving as the
first race of the 2013 – 2014 WMM scoring period, the 2013 Tokyo
Marathon will double as the Japanese men’s national team trials for the
14th IAAF World Championships Marathon in Moscow. Prior to the
establishment of the Tokyo Marathon Foundation in 2007, the city of
Tokyo hosted two separate marathon events for elite men and women,
dating back to 1980 and 1979, respectively.

Each of the World Marathon Majors races boasts an international elite
field for both men and women, has a mass participatory field completing
the same course as the elite runners, takes place in a major
international market, and is regarded as among the best in the industry.

About the Tokyo Marathon
Organized by the Tokyo Marathon Foundation and established in 2007, the
Tokyo Marathon hosts nearly 36,000 participants on a tour of Tokyo’s
iconic tourist attractions. Through its theme, “The Day We Unite,” the
Tokyo Marathon unites runners, volunteers, and spectators on race day.
Following the 2011 race, the Tokyo Marathon instituted “Tsunagu,” a
companion charity program for the Tokyo Marathon. Donations go to
charitable activities in various fields according to the concept of
“Tsunagu,” or solidarity. Registration for the 2013 Tokyo Marathon,
which closed on August 31, drew over 300,000 applicants.

January 17, 2013

John
Thomas, two-time Olympic high jump medalist and world record holder, passed
away on Tuesday, January 15 at the age of 71.

National
Track & Field Hall of Famer represented Boston
University and the Boston Athletic Association.

Statements
on the passing of John Thomas by B.A.A. officials:

“John Thomas transcended what it meant to be a champion
and an Olympian, and he achieved legendary status not only within the Boston
Athletic Association but also in Boston
sports. As the first African American member of the B.A.A., he made a profound,
positive impact on us. He was a gentleman who we greatly respected, and he
displayed the very best that sports can offer through his successes and how he
represented himself and others. John was an inspiration to all, and we will
aspire to honor his memory as we continue in our 125th Anniversary year.”

— Joann E. Flaminio, B.A.A. President

“For those of us growing up in Greater Boston in the 1950s
and 1960s, John Thomas in the high jump was our personal connection to
national, international and Olympic track and field. He was the first over
seven feet indoors. He was the B.A.A. athlete who set world records. Ever
since, when I have heard his name, the height 7’3-3/4″ always comes to
mind as the then stunning world record. He was on TV in the Olympics, and he
competed against the Russians on Wide World of Sports. To us in that day, his
name meant ‰Û¢excellence’ on the world stage, and it felt personal to
us. His was the name we looked for in every track meet and two Olympics. To see
him at our 125th anniversary last month at the Boston Garden,
on the site where he competed in the old B.A.A. Indoor Games, was a gripping
moment for everyone there. It was a privilege to have him compete for the
B.A.A. We will miss him, but he will continue to inspire.”

— Thomas S. Grilk, B.A.A. Executive
Director

Death notice:

http://massachusetts.obituaries.funeral.com/2013/01/16/john-thomas-1152013-brockton-ma-brockton-ma/

Tribute to John Thomas written by Toni
Reavis:

http://tonireavis.com/2013/01/16/passing-of-a-hero/

John Thomas Wikipedia entry:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Thomas_(athlete)

USA Track & Field Hall of Fame:

http://www.usatf.org/halloffame/TF/showBio.asp?HOFIDs=168

From The B.A.A. at 125 by John
Hanc, published by Sports Publishing®, copyright © 2012 by the Boston
Athletic Association and John Hanc (Sports Publishing is a division of Skyhorse
Publishing, Inc.® and The B.A.A. at 125 is scheduled for general
release in Spring 2013):

There were exceptions to that during this period, and the
most spectacular was a man who didn’t run, but jumped higher than anyone
in the world.  As a freshman at Boston
University in 1959, John
Thomas had stunned the track world when he became the first athlete to clear
seven feet in the high jump indoors.  In 1963, Thomas was recruited by
[Will] Cloney to join the B.A.A. track team. In a sense, he was the B.A.A., especially during the
indoor season. There were the marathon runners and me,” recalls Thomas.
“We were like a family.”

Thomas was one of the most distinguished members of the clan.
A nine-time national champion in his career, he competed in the 1964 U.S.
Olympic Trials as a B.A.A. athlete ‰ÛÓ and went on to win a silver medal in
the Games in Tokyo.

In addition to being the lone jumper on a team of marathon
runners, Thomas was African American, one of the very few in that era to
compete as a B.A.A. athlete.

The B.A.A. will update its web page as services/memorial
plans are announced (as of Thursday, January 17, 2013).

On July 21, 2013, the Cranmore Hill Climb presented by
Northeast Delta Dental will welcome the nation’s best trail and mountain
runners during an unprecedented trifecta. For the first time, the USA Mountain
Running Championships, the North American Central America Caribbean (NACAC)
Mountain Running Championships, and the U.S. Mountain Team selection will all
happen simultaneously at one venue resulting in the, ‰Û¢race within the race,’
moniker and the promise of an amazing day of competition.

Organized by the White Mountain Milers, the race has attracted
runners from across the country and around the world to North Conway, NH, for
the past 26 years. In recent years, the race course has undergone quite a few
changes as explained by director Paul
Kirsch who has been at the helm for eleven years.

Says Kirsch, “One of the fun things about Cranmore is that
every year since 2004, we have changed the course. The changes started first to
emulate the World Mountain Running Championship course of that year, but I
still change it for the other years too. I have been told by some of the
USATF-NE Mountain Circuit regulars that they always enjoy the surprise of a new
course.

“This year it is the biggest change since it went from an
uphill only to an up/down course. To mirror the course in Poland, which starts
each lap with a descent and ends with an ascent, the race will be starting at
the top of the mountain for the first time ever. It should be interesting to
see the different race strategies of people needing to finish with a strong
uphill instead of downhill.”

The race will have a separate start for men and women. The
women’s race will begin at 8:15 a.m. while the men will set off one hour later.
The lap course features single-track, wide pathways, meadows, rocky terrain,
and some steep ascents and descents over the four-kilometer route featuring 254
meters of elevation change. The women will run two laps; the men will run three
laps. The chairlift will be running at the mountain starting at 7:00 a.m. on race
day so that both competitors and spectators can get to the start and finish
area.

With the infusion of a $4,000 prize purse up for grabs, as
well as the U.S. Championship titles at stake the competition will be fierce. “The
field is as strong as it ever has been,” said Kirsch, “There are the, ‰Û¢usual
suspects,’ like Max King, Joe Gray, Megan Lizotte and Morgan Arritola, plus a
group of really fast trail and cross country runners, most of whom have not
competed in a USA Mountain Championship before. This to me shows how our sport
continues to grow and confirms that there are plenty of new up-and-comers
alongside the veterans.”

The international portion of the race is realized in the
NACAC acronym with top mountain runners from Canada and Mexico slated to compete
alongside the U.S. elites in the 10th installment of this area mountain running
championship. With this influx of invited athletes, Kirsch sought out host
families in the Mount Washington region, and more than 40 host families came
forward to open their homes to athletes.

“The White Mountain Milers really take a lot of pride in
welcoming people to our community. I’ve heard from more than one host family
how they have made long term friends with athletes they have hosted over the
years,” said Kirsch, “My family and I have been hosting people for almost ten
years now for Mt Washington, or Cranmore and it’s striking how every one of the
runners you host is working so hard to realize their dreams as a runner. It
gives you a great feeling to have some small part in supporting them in their
efforts.”

Kirsch expects nearly 300 runners for this year’s event
comprised of elites as well as recreational weekend warriors ranging from age
10 to age 70. “As I always say, what other sport do you get to toe the line with
the best in the country? I don’t get to play basketball with Michael Jordan or
play hockey with Zdeno Chara, but I can run in the same race as Max King or
Kasie Enman,” said Kirsch. “I remember back in 2011, after I got back from the
World Champs in Albania where Max and Kasie won gold, I saw three of the
USATF-NE regulars (we call them Mountain Goats) and they were all so excited to
hear all about Max and Kasie’s victories. They all took a sense of pride in
knowing they got to be in the same race as them at the U.S. Champs that year.”

Mountain running has certainly found a home in New England
through the USATF New England Mountain Race Circuit of which Cranmore is the
final race in the six-race series.

“Thanks to the hard work of my USATF-NE Mountain Ultra Trail
chairpersons before me, Dave Dunham and Richard Bolt, we have the oldest
mountain running circuit in the country going on in New England. You have every
type of surface and course style, which gives people a chance to try out all
kinds of mountain running,” explained Kirsch, “Because of the tie-in with the
strong New England running community, you get a lot of road runners who will
experience their first mountain race as part of the circuit. Exemplifying the
vibe of the New England Mountain Running Community is the first race in the
USATF-NE Mountain Circuit, which for the past two years has been the Sleepy
Hollow Mountain race in Huntington, VT, organized by World Mountain Running
Champion Kasie Enman. People in our mountain running community are so committed
to giving back to their sport.”

The support of the USATF New England Association has been
extremely valuable according to Kirsch. “The New England USATF Association
continues to realize the value of hosting a National Championship. They have been
extremely generous with funds to help support athletes coming to compete at
Cranmore. In some ways you might think it’s counter-intuitive to be helping to
support runners from outside New England, but really, this gives all of the
local association runners an opportunity to compete against the best in the
U.S. and also Canada and Mexico. What great exposure for New England runners
this is. We’ve all had the opportunity to see how competing against people
potentially better than you just raises your own efforts. It’s a win-win for
everyone.”

To that point, the importance of introducing the sport to
younger athletes is one of the missions of the event. “For the ones that are
able to make it, it really gives them a chance to see what competitive mountain
running can be,” said Kirsch who is also the manager of the U.S. junior
mountain running team. “All of the top runners are very approachable and they
are happy to talk with kids about the sport. They want to see it grow too. I
only wish I had an unlimited travel budget for the race so I could fly in kids
from around the country to compete, it’s such great exposure for them.”

The junior mountain running team (athletes who are at least
16 in the year of competition and not yet 20), will not be selected at Cranmore,
rather the four junior men and three junior women who comprise the team are
chosen based on their resumes which must be sent to Kirsch by July 15. However,
the U.S. senior team ‰ÛÓ six men and four women ‰ÛÓ will be selected at Cranmore.
The team will compete in Poland at the 29th World Mountain Running
Championships on September 8, 2013.

In addition to title sponsor Northeast Delta Dental,
sponsors include the host venue, Cranmore Mountain Resort, Inov-8, Julbo USA,
USATF New England, World Fellowship Center, CW-X, Cabot Cheese of Vermont,
SportHill, Swiftwick, Hammer Nutrition, RunReg Online Registration, Arts
Jubilee North Conway, and Tuckerman Brewing Company.

To learn more about the U.S. mountain running program visit
www.usmrt.com, and www.usatf.org. Follow the mountain team and look for live
updates from Cranmore on Twitter @usmrt.

The U.S. Mountain Running Team receives partial funding from
USATF. To support the team, send tax-deductible donations to American Trail
Running Association, PO Box 9454, Colorado Springs, CO, 80932.

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ELITE FIELDS ANNOUNCED FOR B.A.A. HALF-MARATHON

By Chris Lotsbom, @ChrisLotsbom

(c) 2013 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved

(Used with permission)



(08-Oct) -- Yesterday, the Boston Athletic Association announced the elite field for Sunday's B.A.A. Half-Marathon presented by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and 

The Jimmy Fund. In addition to Ethiopians Lelisa Desisa and Gebre Gebremariam, who were announced last week, B.A.A. Distance Medley leader Stephen Sambu, 

reigning champion Allan Kiprono, and fellow compatriots Daniel Salel and Lani Rutto will be running the 13th edition of the race, which takes competitors through

 Boston's Jamaica Plain and Dorchester neighborhoods. American-based athletes Aaron Braun, Sam Chelanga, and Jeff Eggleston will also be racing.



On the women's side, reigning champion and current B.A.A. Distance Medley leader Kim Smith highlights a field that includes Millicent Kuria and Alice Kimutai, 

both of Kenya, and Ethiopia's Aheza Kiros. Kristen Fryburg-Zaitz and Katie Matthews head the American charge.



While Desisa, this year's Boston Marathon champion, and Gebremariam, twice third in the Hopkinton-to-Boston marathon, lead the field with the fastest personal 

bests (59:30 and 1:00:25, respectively), the steady stream of athletes listed above could challenge for the win on a good day.



If Sambu holds on to his lead in the B.A.A. Distance Medley standings, the six-time NCAA All-American at Arizona will earn a hefty $100,000, the largest 

non-marathon prize in road racing. Reigning champion and course record holder Kiprono sits second just 25 seconds behind entering the final leg of the three-race 

Medley series, which awards $100,000 to the male and female with the lowest cumulative time between April's B.A.A. 5-K, June's B.A.A. 10-K, and October's B.A.A. 

Half Marathon.



Fellow Kenyan Chelanga, who now trains in Hanover, N.H., has experience on his side, having placed in the top three in each of the last two years at the B.A.A. 

Half Marathon.



New Zealand's Smith, 31, will look to become only the second women's champion in race history to claim victory in consecutive years. The three-time Olympian has 

the fastest personal best in the field by nearly two minutes over Kiros. Smith is also going for her second straight B.A.A. Distance Medley crown; she has a one 

minute, 11 second lead on Kuria.



Speaking with Race Results Weekly last month, Smith emphasized what it would mean to win the B.A.A. Distance Medley after having an injury plagued summer that 

saw her unable to compete at the IAAF World Championships.



"Anytime you can win it's a big deal," said Smith, who will also run November's ING New York City Marathon. "One of my aims for the year was to do that in the 

series. I've been putting a lot of hard work in to it so hopefully it pays off!"



The B.A.A. Half Marathon begins in Boston's Franklin Park and takes athletes along the Emerald Necklace Park system. A prize purse totaling $38,400 is up for 

grabs, not including the B.A.A. Distance Medley awards of $100,000. Course records stand at 1:01:44 for men (Allan Kiprono, 2012) and 1:10:52 for women (Caroline

 Rotich, 2010)



NOTE: Race Results Weekly will provide exclusive coverage from the 2013 B.A.A. Half Marathon --Ed.



PHOTO: Kenya's Allan Kiprono after winning the 2013 B.A.A. Half-Marathon in a course record 1:01:44 

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Light of a New Day

by Bob Fitzgerald

On a day when cheering
crescendos constantly accompanied the flow of runners down Boylston Street, the
improbable but momentous Boston Marathon victory by America’s Meb Keflezighi
scored highest on the Richter Scale. In a city and a marathon looking to turn
the page, an American victory for the first time in over three decades was
salve indeed. Born in war torn Eritrea, Meb knew senseless tragedy firsthand.
He arrived here as a child. When he won Olympic silver at Athens in 2004, it
was the first US medal since Frank Shorter won silver in Montreal in 1976. When
he won New York in 2009, it was the first US victory since Alberto Salazar in
1982. He was 4th in the London Olympic Marathon in 2012.

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Boston is not a time trial
course. On a championship course, ala New York, ala the Olympics, and most
certainly ala Boston a year after the bombings, how could you cede Meb a decent
lead? There is a great picture on pg. 50 that shows the No. 1 and No. 2 ranked
marathoners in the world eying each other. No one seems concerned about the guy
in the red, white and blue Skechers on the wrong side of 38 up the road.

Afterward, Meb would say, “I
knew it was a loaded field. I didn’t have a 2:04, 2:05 PR, but guess what? I
have the Boston Marathon title.”

Shalane. Heart of a
champion. Wanted this so badly. She placed 4th a year ago in a slowish affair
won by Jeptoo. This year she and her coach figured a 2:22 would do it. Flanagan
ran her race, made the race, but Jeptoo is otherwordly. Shalane ran 5-minutes
faster than in 2013, Jeptoo 7+. Flanagan’s valiant effort netted her the top US
time on the course, bettering the 2:22:43 run by another New Englander‰ÛÓMaine’s
Joan Samuelson‰ÛÓfor a world record in 1983. “Joanie” ran within 30 minutes of
her world best 30 years later at Boston 117. She did the same this year at the
age of 56, preceded by son Anders in 2:50:01 and followed by daughter Abby in
3:15:49.

At 2:49 pm, the time the
first bomb went off last year, a huge roar erupted from the bleachers lining
Boylston Street that was answered by the thousands lining the opposite side of
the street.

Shane O’Hara, the manager of
the Boylston St. Marathon Sports for the past 14 years, crossed the finish line
with a grimace that soon evaporated into a wide smile as he recognized the
chants of “Shane-O!” from the multitude of Marathon Sports staffers waiting on
his arrival. The day before he had shaken hands with a block long crowd that
entered his store single file for hours on end. Many bought nothing. Entered
just to stand on hallowed ground. “Have you sold any shoes?” he was asked,
eliciting a laugh. “Not many,” said O’Hara. “Mostly apparel. Anything that says
‰Û¢Boston’ we can’t keep in stock.”

Later in the day, a few
survivors would navigate the end of Boylston, eliciting huge cheers and tears
of joy. The Hoyts, Dick and Rick, would complete their last Boston together.
Dick is 73. Was to sign off last year. Couldn’t. The emergency nurses on the
ICU unit at Mass General banded together and ran this year. Only one had
previously been a runner but they got the job done.

New Jersey’s Ben Beach would
run his 47th straight Boston. In the evening, Race Director Dave McGillivray
would run his 42nd straight Hopkinton to Boston jaunt. B.A.A. Executive
Director Tom Grilk would announce at the finish line as he always does. In a
Today Show interview, Matt Lauer surmised that this year wasn’t about the race,
wasn’t about fast times‰Û¢to which Grilk very diplomatically answered that there
would be tributes and the victims would be honored, and then the B.A.A. would
attend to the matter of putting on a world-class athletic event. Bravo.

None of the marathon’s most
obvious caretakers down to the day-of volunteers had ever been handed a memo
reading, “by the way, at some point you will be tasked with helping a city to
heal.” That it happened flawlessly is amazing. The One Fund was up to $75
million before Boston; 29-year marathon title sponsor John Hancock jumping in
with the first million. Hancock’s Mary Kate Shea, who put together this year’s
prodigious fields, worked the start in Hopkinton, then ran the marathon, then
worked the finish in her usual race day routine.

Amazing.

NER Pub Series
Women‰Ûªs Standings After Race No. 4 of 6 ‰ÛÒ East End Club 5M

WOMEN OPEN (Top 50
Score)

1. Amanda Watters                          
193

2. Candice Gagnon                           
185

3. Lisa Williams                                 174

4. Marge Bellisle (RI)                       
154

5. Holly Madden                                 140

6. Jacquelyn Jackman (RI)                
131

7. Eileen Cakouros                            
117

8. Victoria Bok   
                               111

9. Ally Maslowski                             
96

10. Jan Holmquist                              87

11. Liane Pancoast                            
76

12. Claire McManus                          70

13. Lisa Roeder                                
 59

14. Patty Foltz (VT)                         
56

15. Andrea Leverentz                       
45

16. Christine Bradley                       
39

17. Cathy Cagle                               
30

17. Lauren Davis                             
30

19. Joanne Morris                           
14

20. Anne Francis                              
9

21. Robin Shor                                 
7

WOMEN MASTERS (Top 10
Score)

1. Lisa Williams                 
36

2. Holly Madden               
 29

3. Eileen Cakouros             
22

4. Andrea Leverentz           
10

5. Christine Bradley             
7

6. Lauren Davis                    
5

7. Anne Francis                    
1

WOMEN SENIORS (Top 10
Score)

1. Marge Bellisle (RI)     37

2. Victoria Bok             
  31

3. Liane Pancoast            
21

4. Claire McManus           17

5. Lisa Roeder                  
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12

6. Cathy Cagle                  
7

7. Robin Shor                  
 2

8. Deb Lynch                  
  1

WOMEN VETERANS  (Top 8 Score)

1. Patty Foltz (VT)        31

2. Joanne Morris           24

3. Mary Tyler               
9

4. Jan Holmquist           8

5. Carol Walsh             
3

WOMEN 70-79   (Top 3 Score)

1. Jan Holmquist                    9

1. Ann Marie McDonald        6

KENYANS SALEL, WACERA WIN RAIN-SOAKED B.A.A. 10-K
By Chris Lotsbom, @ChrisLotsbom

BOSTON
(21-Jun) — Despite a heavy rain falling consistently from start to
finish, Kenyans Daniel Salel and Mary Wacera were able to persevere and
prevail out front here at the fifth annual B.A.A. 10-K, claiming
victories in 28:09 and 32:07, respectively. Salel made a decisive move
in the final straightaway to pry victory from two-time defending
champion Stephen Sambu, while Wacera overtook marathon ace Edna
Kiplagat in the final mile to win by eight seconds.

THIRD TIME’S THE CHARM FOR SALEL

In
both 2013 and 2014, Salel came to Boston with his eyes set on winning
the B.A.A. 10-K. Both times he’d finish third, with compatriot Stephen
Sambu taking the top spot. This year, however, the 24-year-old from
Eldoret wasn’t going to be denied.

“It was tough because of the
rain,” said a smiling Salel moments after breaking the finish tape and
winning $10,000. “I was happy, and am so happy.”

Through the
early miles, Salel found himself among a large pack of contenders that
included Sambu, 2011 Boston Marathon champion and two-time B.A.A. 10-K
winner Geoffrey Mutai, fellow Kenyans Leonard Korir and Philip Langat,
as well as Germany’s Arne Gabius and Eritrea’s Yonas Mebrahtu. Together
they’d reach the three mile mark and turn-around point at Boston
University, no one wanting to separate quite yet.

With their
feet sloshing through deep puddles on the roadway, the leaders reached
four miles in 18:21 before Mebrahtu and Mutai began to fall off the
pace. Mutai, the event record holder, was dressed in layers hoping to
fend off the incessant rain, but couldn’t maintain the tempo set by
Sambu and Salel at the head of the pack.

Through Kenmore
Square, Salel and Sambu asserted their dominance, completing a 4:27
mile split that left Korir, Langat, and Gabius five steps or more
behind. It would be a two-man duel down Commonwealth Avenue, around the
Boston Public Garden and into the finishing straight adjacent to Boston
Common.

Salel’s strategy was to surge with a kilometer to go,
then again as he turned onto Charles Street with under 400 meters
remaining. It worked perfectly, as his final push created a large gap
back to Sambu.

Maintaining his sprint through the finish, Salel
broke the tape first in 28:09, followed by Sambu in 28:21. Korir
rounded out the top three in 28:26, with Langat fourth (28:27) and
Gabius fifth in 28:36.

“I like it, it was good! I have been
trying, this is the third time in Boston. I have been trying, trying,
and fortunately today I won,” said a triumphant Salel. “I am happy. I
like Boston, I like the people of Boston, and I like running here.”

Racing
through the streets of Boston in the rain was thrilling, Salel said,
adding that he intends to return here for the B.A.A. Half-Marathon,
presented by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund, on
October 11.

“The conditions were tough because the rain and it
was humid, but we try our best,” he said. “I think if it was not
raining, we would have run a better time like 27:30. But we tried. I
was happy and am happy.” Sambu gave credit to Salel for finding another
gear in the homestretch, one that the University of Arizona alum could
not match.

“We ran together and then he just pulled away from
me in the last turn. I was just so tired. I had to accept number two,”
said Sambu, 26, noting that the slippery, wet conditions made it hard
to sprint.

Boston Marathon winner Mutai wound up seventh in 28:53, waving to his many fans as he crossed the finish.

The
top American was former University of Oregon standout Parker Stinson,
ninth in 29:24. Finishing first among masters athletes was 45-year-old
Joseph Ekuom of Kingston, N.Y., in 35:41.

WACERA CLAIMS COME FROM BEHIND WIN IN 32:07
Entering
today’s race, Mary Wacera knew she was in fast company, with 2011
Boston Marathon and B.A.A. 10-K winner Caroline Kilel, as well as
two-time IAAF World Championships Marathon gold medalist Edna Kiplagat
joining her on the start line. Quickly, the trio went to the front of
the field, joined by Burundi’s Diane Nukuri. Both Kiplagat and Nukuri
had run the ultra-competitive Oakley New York Mini 10-K one week
earlier.

Similar to the men’s competition, the women’s race
would rapidly develop at the four mile mark, as Kiplagat injected a
quick surge to break up the pack.

“Me and my companion Edna
broke away about the fourth mile and in the fifth mile, from the
[Massachusetts Avenue] bridge, Edna was dropping me,” recalled Wacera.

While
Kiplagat charged out front past iconic landmark Kenmore Square, Wacera
stayed calm in her wake. Having broken from challengers Kilel and
Nukuri, Wacera maintained her tempo before reeling in her friendly
rival as they hit the fifth mile.

Wacera wasn’t going to let up
when she came even with Kiplagat, though. The 2014 IAAF World
Half-Marathon silver medalist kept her foot on the gas pedal, hitting
the final turn out front.

“I caught up with her around the
fifth mile and I tried to push,” said Wacera. “With 400 meters to go I
just pushed away and knew I was going to win.”

Win she did,
defeating Kiplagat by eight seconds. Crossing the line in 32:07, Wacera
became the first Kenyan woman since Kilel in 2011 to claim the B.A.A.
10-K crown.

“It is very special. Boston is a big city and known
for races like the Marathon. To be here and win means a lot to me,”
said Wacera, wiping rain drops from her brow.

With her victory
here, Wacera takes over the top spot on the B.A.A. Distance Medley
leaderboard, which combines times from April’s B.A.A. 5-K, today’s
B.A.A. 10-K, and October’s B.A.A. Half-Marathon. She’ll return for the
B.A.A. Half-Marathon in less than four months time, hoping to claim
victory once again.

Kiplagat was pleased with her second place showing, and said she gave everything she had to stay close to Wacera.

“It
is a good showing because I haven’t done a lot of training since
London,” she said, referring to her 11th place finish at the Virgin
Money London Marathon in April. “I am happy because I am running good.
Though it’s not my best this year, I’m still happy I’m up there.”

Finishing
third was Nukuri in 32:23, followed across the line by Kilel in fourth
(32:49) and Japan’s Tomomi Tanaka (32:56). Recent University of Arizona
graduate Elvin Kibet placed sixth in 33:38 in her professional road
race debut, as Kristen Zaitz of Broomfield, Co., was the top American
in seventh place, 34:26 her time.

The B.A.A. placed two women
in the top ten, as Heather Cappello and Jen Rhines finished eighth and
ninth in 34:58 and 35:42, respectively. Rhines was the top masters
finisher.

In the wheelchair division, Tony Nogueira and Cheri
Blauwet prevailed victorious with winning times of 24:57 and 36:16.
Blauwet is a two-time winner of the Boston Marathon, having won the
push rim wheelchair division in both 2004 and 2005.

Despite the
pelting rain and less-than-ideal racing conditions, a total of 5,954
athletes finished the B.A.A. 10-K, down from 6,619 last year when the
weather was near-perfect.

The third and final race of the
B.A.A. Distance Medley series will be the B.A.A. Half-Marathon,
presented by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund, on
October 11. Registration for the event opens on Wednesday, July 15, at
10:00 a.m. ET at www.baa.org.

PHOTO: Mary Wacera and Daniel
Salel of Kenya after winning the 2015 B.A.A. 10-K in 28:09 and 32:07,
respectively

BOSTON MARATHON BELONGS TO ETHIOPIA THIS YEAR
By David Monti, @d9monti
(c) 2016 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved

BOSTON
(18-Apr) — Athletes from Ethiopia dominated the 120th Boston Marathon
here today, sweeping both the men’s and women’s divisions for the first
time in the same year, and capturing five of the six podium positions.
Lemi Berhanu Hayle and Atsede Baysa took the top spots in 2:12:45 and
2:29:19, respectively, and hoped that their victories would earn them
berths on the Ethiopian team for the Rio Olympics this summer, despite
recording modest times.  Both athletes earned $150,000 in prize money.

BERHANU TAKES DOWN DESISA

Lelisa
Desisa, the defending champion who also won here in 2013, knew better
than any man in the field that winning Boston is about tactics, not
speed.  He ignored an impetuous opening move by Japan’s Shingo
Igarashi, who spurted to a 21 second lead through the third mile, and
remained comfortably in the middle of the pack, content to run a steady
3:10 per kilometer.  There was no hurry.

“As
we saw, the Boston marathon is different from any other races,” Desisa
said after the race.  “You don’t know how it will go. Maybe slow, maybe
fast.”

Lemi Berhanu Hayle, who
finished second at the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon three months
ago in 2:04:33, wasn’t watching the clock, either. He was watching
Desisa.  He figured that his best strategy was to follow the two-time
champion and just make sure he covered any moves.

“When
I came to this race, I came only to win, not to run fast, like in
Dubai,” Berhanu told reporters through a translator.  He continued: “I
controlled only what Lelisa do.”

So,
through the first 20 kilometers, the pack dawdled, running the first
four 5-kilometer sections in 15:28, 15:50, 15:45 and 16:09,
respectively.  There were some small surges by Kenya’s Paul Lonyangata,
Brazil’s Solonei Rocha Da Silva, and Zimbabwe’s Cutbert Nyasango, but
no lasting damage was done.  At halfway (1:06:44), there were still 17
men in contention.

It wasn’t until the 26th kilometer, that Desisa finally go serious.

“For 23 (kilometers) the pace was very slow,” Desisa later explained.  “After that I tried to push.”

The
16th mile –approximately 24 to 26 kilometers– is sharply downhill,
and Desisa decided to use that section to break up the race.  He
scorched that mile in 4:34 (2:50 per kilometer pace), and only Berhanu
was able to cover the move.  Compatriots Yemane Tsegay and Tsegaye
Mekonnen did their best to maintain contact, but any chance for victory
for them was already lost.

“When Lelisa pushed,” Berhanu said, “I listened. I followed what he did.”

While
a dozen men were still in contention at 25-K, by 30-K Desisa and
Berhanu had a 28-second lead, and it was already a two-man race.  They
passed 35-K and 40-K together, before Berhanu made his bid for victory.
 Desisa went for his drink at 40-K, and Berhanu took off.  In a few
seconds, the race was decided.  Berhanu had a comfortable lead heading
down Boylston Street to the finish in Back Bay.  Nonetheless, he was
still worried that he could be caught.

“I didn’t believe up to the finish line that Lilesa might come,” Berhanu said.  “I was thinking somebody was over me.”

Berhanu’s
winning time of 2:12:45 was the slowest here since Robert Kipkoech
Cheruiyot ran 2:14:13 in 2007 when the race was held in driving rain
and cold temperatures.  Desisa was timed in 2:13:32, easily his slowest
Boston, and Tsegay was able to hang on for third (2:14:02).  Berhanu
was so excited when he finished, that he did a few dance moves after
breaking the tape.

“In that time I didn’t know what, I was going,” he later said, looking slightly embarrassed.

Because
of February’s USA Olympic Trials Marathon, most home country athletes
stayed away from Boston this year.  The top American was 28 year-old
Zach Hine of Dallas.  Finishing tenth in 2:21:37, he was elated with
his race, especially since he grew up on South Hadley, Mass., about 145
kilometers west of Boston.

“There’s
nothing like a hometown race for me,” Hine said.  He continued: “It’s
really special. I’ve just had (so many) texts and calls; my phone’s
been blowing up since I finished.”

BAYSA COMES FROM BEHIND

The women’s race also went out slow, and luck –both bad and good– played a big role in the outcome.

After
an easy first 5 kilometers in 18:22, defending champion Caroline Rotich
of Kenya, suddenly slowed down, went to the back of the pack, and
stopped.  Just 7 kilometers into the race she was done.

“Sudden
severe foot pain,” her manager Isaya Okwyia told Race Results Weekly
via text message.  “Not certain whether it’s bone or soft tissue.”

The
big lead pack of 18 lumbered on, slimming only to 16 by 10-K (36:20),
13 by 15-K (53:59) and 12 by 20-K (1:11:45).  The leaders were only on
pace for a 2:31:16 finish time.

After
the halfway point (1:15:32), the leaders began to trade surges, and the
race resembled a fartlek workout.  Baysa decided she didn’t want to get
caught up in that kind of racing, and decided to hold a steady pace,
instead.

“She kept her pace,” said her coach Gemedu Degefa.  “If she moved in the same way, she would lose the race.”

By
30-K (1:46:32) a pack of four had broken away leaving Baysa running
alone 24 seconds behind.  Ethiopian Tirfi Tsegaye and Kenyans Joyce
Chepkirui, Valentine Kipketer and Flomena Cheyech Daniel ran in tight
formation, racing each other in earnest.  Baysa tried to remain both
patient and confident, watching the women racing ahead of her.

“In
the middle of the race they did like fartleks,” Baysa said through her
coach.  “I was feeling my own strength.  I decided a little bit with my
level to maintain the pace.”

The
sparring at the front began to take a toll.  Daniel was first to fall
off of the pace, then Kipketer was dropped going up Heartbreak Hill in
the 21st mile, although she briefly caught up later.  Baysa was a
whopping 37 seconds behind at 35-K, but was beginning to make up time.
 She knew she was still in contention.

“After, everybody was near to me,” she said.  “I moved and pushed the race in the last part.”

Covering
the 5 kilometers between 35 and 40-K in 16:43 –the fastest 5-K segment
by any woman in today’s race– she captured the lead in the 40th
kilometer
and, remarkably, ran away from the field.  

“Winning
the Boston Marathon is for me is big,” Baysa said, later explaining
that she endured hamstring pain beginning in the 12th kilometer.
 Saying she was confident in her training, she added: “I thought I
could win the race very easily.”

Tirfi,
who trains with Baysa, held on for second (2:30:03) and the tiring
Chepkirui –last December’s Honolulu Marathon champion– picked up
third (2:30:50).  Two-time TCS New York City Marathon champion Jelena
Prokopcuka of Latvia survived an entanglement with Fatuma Sado in which
Sado lost her shoe, and finished fourth in 2:32:28.

The
top American was Neely Spence Gracey of Superior, Colo.  The 26
year-old former NCAA Division II star for Shippensburg University,
finished a solid ninth in 2:35:00 in her debut at the distance.
 Sticking with a conservative race plan, she ran halves of 1:17:01 and
1:17:59, and looked fresh at the finish.

“I’m
definitely very pleased,” said Gracey, who was born in 1990 while her
father, Steve, was competing in the Boston Marathon.  “I ran very
conservatively based off of my training coming into it to set up for a
positive outcome.”  She concluded: “I met my goals.”

With
their victories here today, Baysa and Berhanu lead the Abbott World
Marathon Majors Series X with 25 points.  The series will conclude here
in Boston next year and the series champions will earn $500,000.

PHOTO: Atsede Baysa winning the 2016 Boston Marathon in 2:29:19 (photo by Jane Monti for Race Results Weekly)