by Larry Eder
Falmouth is a right of summer road racing in New England. The winding,
challenging course takes the runners from Woods Hole to Falmouth, and
has seen the greats of road running on this course for nearly four decades.
From Bill Rodgers to Alberto Salazar, to Joan Benoit-Samuelson, to
Gebre Gebremariam and Wude Aleyew Yimer, who won in Falmouth, MA
today.
Ethiopians Sweep the
38th Annual CIGNA Falmouth Road Race
Gebremariam and Yimer – Male and Female Winners
Moran finishes as First American Male
Blanchette Wins Eighth Falmouth Wheelchair Title
FALMOUTH, Mass. – Running stride for stride down the final hill,
25-year-old Gebre Gebremariam crossed the finish line in 32:20, one
second ahead of another 25-year-old Wilson Kwambai Chebet of Kenya.
Beach to Beacon champion Gebremariam debut Falmouth time was well off
the course record of 31:08 set by Gilbert Okari of Kenya in 2004, but
he tallied his second win in two weeks along with his July Peachtree
10k first place. American, Ed Moran age 29 from Williamsburg, Va.
finished in 5th place in 32:40.
On the women’s side, Wude Ayalew Yimer, age 23, traded her second place
at Beach to Beacon for the winner’s circle finishing in 35:46, besting
the Beach to Beacon winner, Linenth Chepkurui, age 22 from Kenya who
ran 35:50. The ageless Colleen De Reuck scored a triple triumph as
first American, first masters and fifth place finisher overall with a
time of 38:10.
On race founder, Tommy Leonard’s 77th birthday, starting temperatures
in the high 60s with winds eight to 15 miles per hour and a partial
cloud cover proved to be the perfect combination for a close race for
both men and women.
In the men’s division, a group of 15 to 20 runners pulled out to the
front as the lead pack turned from Water Street onto Woods Hole Road.
The pack continued its steady cadence clocking 4:39 at mile one. On
the way to a two mile time of 9:16, Moran opened up a quick 10 to 15
yard lead over Gebremariam, Kenyans Chebet, Edward Muge, Stephen Kosgei
Kibet, and Allan Kiprono as well as American Antonio Vega. Moran with
his track speed led at mile three in 13:56. By mile four, the pack
caught Moran in 18:34 with Gebremariam, Chebet, Peter Kurui, Martin Lel
and Muge leading the way. The pack passed mile fives in 23:08 with
continuing ease. It came down to Gebremariam and Chebet running
shoulder to shoulder in identical blue and green singlets passing six
miles in 27:44 and the 10k mark in 28:46. After the race Gebremariam
remarked that he was confident in the final mile that his speed would
carry him to the victory. Rounding out the top five were Lel, in
32:37, Muge in 32:40 and Moran. Americans, Vega of St. Paul Minn. and
Sean Quigley, of Somerville Mass. placed eighth and ninth in 32:53 and
32:58 respectively.
In the women’s division, Yimer, Chepkurui and Edna Kiplagat from Kenya
passed mile one in 4:55. By mile two, Yimer and Chepkurui clocked 9:54
with Kiplagat six seconds behind. Yimer and Chepkurui ran together
with for the rest of the race posting times of 15:03 for three miles,
20:12 for four miles, 25:24 for five miles and 30:45 at the six-mile
mark. Following Yimer and Chepkurui, Kaplagat finished third in
36:31. Four-time Falmouth champion and two-time Olympic silver
medalist, Catherine Ndereba age 38 was fourth in 38:06.
In the American women’s division after De Reuck were Amy Hastings age
26 of Mammoth Lakes, Calif. who finished in 38:33 and Jeanette
Seckinger age 28 from Somerville, Mass. finishing in 39:01. Following
De Reuck in the masters division was Russian Ramilia Burangulova in
40:36 in her Falmouth debut and six-time Falmouth winner and Olympic
Gold Medalist, Joan Benoit Samuelson, age 53, of Freeport, Me. in 41:36.
Craig Blanchette age 42 from Olympia, Wash. came out of a four-year
retirement at the urging of his teenaged sons to win his eighth
Falmouth in 27:13. Chad Johnson of Charlestown, Ind. followed in 28:12
and Brad Ray from Loveland, Colo. in 28:14. Jessica Galli, age 26, of
Savoy, Ill., won her fifth Falmouth in 33:59.
Olympian and three-time Falmouth winner Bill Rodgers, age 62, of
Sherborn, Mass. finished in 54:28 and two-time winner, as well as
Olympic Marathon Gold and Silver Medalist, Frank Shorter, age 61, of
Boulder, Colo. finished in 70:08. The legendary father-son team, Dick
and Rick Hoyt celebrated their 31st Falmouth finish in 66:51. Over
9,800 runners crossed the Falmouth Heights finishline.
CIGNA is now in its fifth year as the title sponsor. More than 2,000
volunteers provide the support system for race weekend. Proceeds from
the race support youth athletic programs in the town of Falmouth and
other nonprofit community groups.
Unofficial race results are available at: www.falmouthroadrace.com
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