byLarry EderMagdelena Lewy-Boulet has built her lead between miles six and nineteen, running the race of her life. She is running personal best pace, a 2:29 pace, and Deena Kastor has pushed her way into second place, negative splitting, and cutting the lead to 77 seconds. Six runners fighting for third, with Blake Russell having a seven second lead over fourth place.
Miles 6-19 miles-The Lewy-Boulet Show
What is the chase pack thinking?
Deena Kastor, Blake Russell, Elva Dryer, Mary Akor, Melissa White, Dot McMahon,
and Amy Rudolph. Yes, Amy Rudolph got in due to her 10k time and is running very
well in the chase pack.
But the chase pack is still not making any progress against Magdelena Lewy-Boulet. Lewy-Boulet is running along the course, as if it is a time trial. She hits seven miles in 40:05, eight miles in 45:47, nine miles, 15 kilometers in 53:18, ten miles in 57:10. Lewy-Boulet is relentless! Her stride is beautiful, her arm movement is perfection and she does not bounce her head. The only thing moving is her pony tail, and that pony tail has a 1 minute 30 second lead!
Kastor, Russell, Akor look to be the players in this pack, along with Kate ONeil. LA sports & Fitness publisher Danny Greenberg told us that Mary Akor , who has won his 10k race for several years, ran two minutes faster this year!
Magdelena Lewy-Boulet is continuing to build the lead. At 11 miles, Lewy-Boulet hit 62:47, twelve miles in 68:17, thirteen miles in 1:13:59, and the half marathon in
1:14:35. At the half way point, Magdelena has a lead of one minute, fifty-one seconds.
Lewy-Boulet continues to look good. But the chase pack is breaking up!
In the chase pack, which held together through eleven miles, has started to break up. Deena Kastor threw in some surges, nothing big, testing the pack. Kastor stayed in the pack, and at about halfway, Kastor, Russell, Akor took off.
Kate O’Neil started to drop back as has the rest of the chase pack. In fifth is Melissa White from Hanson Brooks, Desiree Davila in sixth, Samia Akbar in seventh, and Elva Dryer, two time Olympian in eighth. Zoila Gomez is in ninth and Kate O’Neil had dropped back to tenth.
But the race is on…….
Deena Kastor is surging and she has broken up Russell and Akor. Kastor is moving hard, running 5:35 pace, she has taken a seven second lead on Russell and Akor. But, Deena looks like she is running for second and perhaps she will make up something on Lewy-Boulet, who looks fanstastic.
Lewy-Boulet hit fourteen miles 1:19:42, fifteen miles in 1:25:27, and twenty five kilometers in 1:28:23. Lewy-Boulet hit sixteen in 1;31:06, and seventeen miles has been hit in 1:36:44. She has a quite comfortable lead.
Deena Kastor has made up ten seconds on Lewy-Boulet’s lead, who is now down to 1:43 lead. Kastor has ten seconds on Blake Russell, and Russell has 28 seconds on Mary Akor. Desiree Devilla has now moved into fourth, and has passed Mary Akor.
Desiree Devilla is part of the Brooks Hanson Distance Project. She is running very well and has moved up through the pack.
At this time, at seventeen miles, Magdelena Lewy-Boulet has a very comfortable lead of 1 minute, forty second lead.
Deena Kastor is in second place and moving up. Blake Russell is in third and Desiree Devilla is seven seconds back on Russell…Kastor just ran a 5:29 mile for mile eighteen.
Blake Russell is in third, Desiree Devilla is in fourth, Mary Akor is in fifth and Zoila Gomez is in sixth!
What is fascinating about this race is the that 2004 fifth placer is leading and the 2004 fourth placer is fighting to make the team!
Magdelena Lewy-Boulet, running as well now as she did at ten miles, Boulet has an Olympic team position in her sights. Lewy-Boulet has hit nineteen miles in 1:47:56. Kastor has cut the lead down to 1:32. Blake Russell has 22 seconds over Devilla.
The third position is still open, with six marathoners fighting for that coveted third position. At this time, nineteen miles into the race, Deena Kastor is running negative splits and Magdelena Lewy-Boulet is not giving up easy. With seven miles to go, my picks are Lewy-Boulet, Kastor and Russell, but we shall see…..
