by Larry EderThe 25th Carlsbad 5,000 is a road race with a track ancestry. A series of 5k races, (the day before had a great series of kid’s races), with elite men’s and women’s races as the centerpiece, Carlsbad has shown strong growth.
This year, Meseret Defar showed her her talent, coming off her World Indoor Champs 3,000m win (her fourth in a row), with her decisive win at Carlsbad in a blistering 15:04. Defar owns hte course and world best on the road for 5k, of 14:46, set on this course! Eliud Kipchoge, a brilliant middle distance runner, who owns two Olympic medals at the distance5,000 meters, showed his fitness winning in 13:11. Kipchoge took the field through 4:10 for the mile, then
8:25 for two miles, after that, Kipchoge put seven seconds on second place, and fourteen seconds on last years winner!
In its’ 25th year, the Carlsbad had 10,000 participants! Congrats to Dennis Simonaitis, who set a pending US best for 45-49, with his fine 14:46!
Enjoy the photo gallery, supplied by PhotoRun.net, for the 2010 Carlsbad 5,000:
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Original release, courtesy of Dan Cruz/Competitor:
Kipchoge, Defar Win 25th Carlsbad 5000
Utah’s Dennis Simonaitis sets U.S. age group record in the Masters race
CARLSBAD, Calif. – (April 11, 2010) – World record holder Meseret Defar of Ethiopia became the first three-time women’s champion of the Carlsbad 5000, presented by Nuvasive, Sunday afternoon, winning the women’s elite invitational
in a time of 15 minutes, 4 seconds over the 3.1 mile course. In the men’s race, Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge
crossed the finish line in 13:11, fourth fastest time ever run over the
25-year history of the internationally renowned road race.
Kipchoge, 25, a two-time Olympic medalist for 5000 meters, came to Carlsbad
with a world record on his mind, and gave a record-worthy performance
under overcast, but breezy conditions. He led the lead pack through the
first mile in 4:10, pushing the Ethiopian trio of Dejen Gebremeskel, Bekana Daba and Markos Geneti. The group of four continued together, battling a coastal headwind, reaching the two-mile mark in 8:25, when Kipchoge made his move to victory.
“This is a fantastic course and a fantastic crowd. I felt ready to run a 12:58,” said Kipchoge, after running his debut 5K road race and becoming the third fastest individual all-time. “The wind was too much and unfortunately I didn’t get it,
but it’s not the last time, I will have to try again next year.”
Second place went to Gebremeskel in 13:18, with the defending champion Daba finishing six seconds back in 13:24. The top American was Joe Gray of Lakewood, Wash., who took 10th in 14:37.
The prohibitive favorite to win the women’s race, Defar, 26, started in hopes of lowering her own world record of 14:46 at Carlsbad in 2006. She took the lead immediately, pulling Aheza Kiros and Mekerem Assefa
behind her. The 2004 Olympic champion steadily separated herself from
the other two over the closing two miles and charged through the finish
at 15:04. Like Kipchoge, she did not blame lack of sufficient fitness for her failure to take down history’s
best mark.
“My goal was the record, but the weather was not good and we went out a little fast,” said Defar, who earned $5000 for the victory. “I think my fitness is good, and maybe in the summer I will break the world record for 5000 meters. However, I am not
disappointed because it’s my own record.”
Last year’s champion, Kiros held on for second in 15:26, with Assefa finishing third in 15:55. Canadian Malindi Elmore ran well for fourth place in 16:01.
Race day for the 25th edition of the “World’s fastest 5K” began at 7:05am
with the Masters Men 40 and over, with 42-year-old Christian
Cushing-Murray defending his title in 14:40. Known for some of most
competitive age group races in the world, this year’s race produced a
new U.S. record by Utah’s Dennis Simonaitis for the 45-49 age group in 14:45.
In the women’s Masters race, Carlsbad resident and Ironman champion Michellie Jones, 40, outkicked Masters ace Carmen Troncoso, 51, to finish in second place in the day’s most exciting finish, 17:29 to 17:30, respectively. Canadian Marilyn Arsenault
took first in 17:16 to win the $1000 top prize.
The silver anniversary drew nearly 10,000 entrants for the 9 races held
throughout the morning. NBA Hall of Famer and San Diego legend Bill
Walton served as the event’s lead cyclist to the enthusiastic support
of spectators.
The event is the home of the current world 5K road records: 13:00, Sammy Kipketer (KEN), 2000 & 2001, and 14:46, Meseret Defar (ETH), 2006.
The 26th Carlsbad 5000 is set for Sunday, April 3, 2011.
25th Carlsbad 5000
Carlsbad, CA, Sunday, April 11, 2010
MEN
1) Eliud Kipchoge (KEN), 13:11, $5000
2) Dejen Gebremekel (ETH), 13:18, $3500
3) Bekana Daba (ETH), 13:24, $2000
4) Markos Geneti (ETH), 13:34, $1000
5) Simon Ndriangu (KEN), 13:40, $800
6) Alistair Cragg (IRL), 13:44, $700
7) Juan Luis Barrios (MEX), 13:52, $500
8) Ali Abdosh (ETH), 13:53, $400
9) Haron Lagat (KEN), 14:01, $300
10) Joe Gray (USA / WA), 14:37, $200
MASTERS MEN (40+)
1) Christian Cushing-Murray 42, CA, 14:40, $1000
2) Dennis Simonaitis, 47, UT, 14:45, $500
3) Leonel Avalos, 40, CA, 15:13, $200
WOMEN
1) Meseret Defar (ETH), 15:04, $5000
2) Aheza Kiros (ETH), 15:26, $3500
3) Meskerem Assefa (ETH), 15:55, $2000
4) Malindi Elmore (CAN), 16:00, $1000
5) Karolina Jarzynska (POL), 16:04, $800
6) Barbara Parker (GBR), 16:14, $700
7) Diane Nukuri Johnson (BDI), 16:23, $500
8) Adriana Pirtea (ROU), 16:34, $400
9) Kassie Anderson (USA / UT), 16:56, $300
10) Salome Kosgei (KEN), 17:04, $200
MASTERS WOMEN (40+)
1) Marilyn Arsenault, 42, CAN, 17:16, $1000
2) Michellie Jones, 40, CA, 17:29, $500
3) Carmen Ayala Troncoso, 51, TX, 17:30, $200
Complete results and more at: www.carlsbad5000.com
For more on the sport, please click on www.runningnetwork.com.
