by Larry EderThe Payton Jordan Invitational, held the first weekend of May or last weekend in April, is one of my favorite meets of the season. It is also a rite of spring track & field. Athletes from 30 countries competed at the Cobb Track & Angell Field Complex on Sunday night, April 29.
The conditions were just about perfect for distance running. The last three sections of the 1,500 meters, two sections of the 5,000m and 10,000m are held in the evening, starting about 6:45pm. By that time, if history is an indicator, the winds calm down, the heat of the day leaves, and a sweater is needed if one is standing around, watching track & field.
Anna Pierce, photo by PhotoRun.net
The women’s 1,500 meters, section 1, got the crowd rocking. Anna Pierce went by the field with 150 meters to go, flying down the track, running a world leading 1,500 meters, with her time of 4:07.00. Andy Baddeley, who has been racing since January, won the men’s 1,500 meters, with a world leading 3:35.16, and eleven men followed him under 3:40.00. Henrik Ingebrigsten of Norway ran 3:36.9, breaking the Norwegian NR for 1,500 meters, which dated back to 1976. Alan Webb, AR in mile, finished 11th in 3:38.99, and then, forty minutes later, ran 13:49 for the 5,000 meters!
Sally Kipyego, 2011 Payton Jordan 10,000m, photo by PhotoRun.net
Sally Kipyego, who ran a 4:08 for the 1,500m at the Oregon Relays last weekend, ran from the front in the 5,000 meters, leading the entire way, to a world leading 14:43.11. This was to be her only 5,000 meters before the Kenyan Trials. The World Champs silver medalist at 5,000 meters in Daegu, Korea, Sally Kipyego should be very proud of her front running, which was inspiring. Julia Lucas ran 15:08.52, the new American leader. Six women ran under the Olympic A standard of 15:20.
Lopez Lomong, 2010 USA Champs, photo by PhotoRun.net
In the men’s 5,000 meters, Lopez Lomong again showed why he is such a talent. Running in the front pack, Evan Jager lead the pack through the mile, 4:13, and two miles, 8:30, then pulled off the track. Lopez, Matt Tegankamp, Kevin Chelimo, Chris Thompson and Thomas Farrell. On the 11th lap, Lopez Lomong let it fly, and dropped a 53.2 lap. I was sitting with the Aggie Track Club, right at the 100 meter start, their normal haunt. Fans figured out that Lopez had misjudged the laps. He developed a huge lead, stopped and then, three to five seconds later (keen observer Jeff Shaver swears it was thirty seconds) later, Lopez started running again, and ran the final 400 meters in 66.9. His final time was 13:11.63. Kevin Chelimo lead Matt Tegankamp, Chris Thompson and Thomas Farrell, all under 13:15.31.
What was amazing was Lopez Lomong. The man has huge reserves, and his 53.2 and 66 last lap was pretty amazing. My belief? Lopez will break thirteen minutes soon! And he has just complicated the Olympic Trials 1,500m or 5,000m events.
Both 10,000 meter races were wonderfully competitive. Lisa Uhl lead for the first 20 minutes. Amy Hastings and Betsy Saina caught her just after twenty minutes and pulled away. Amy Hastings and Betsy Saina duked it out over the final 2,000 meters, until the last 250 meters. Betsy Saina, of Iowa State, improved her personal best by two plus minutes, running 31:15.97. Amy Hastings ran 31:19., the American leader and her personal best.
Cam Levins, photo by PhotoRun.net The men’s 10,000 meters was even more competitive, coming down to the last 200 meters, as Cam Levins, the Utah State student, from Canada, running 27:27.96, with Sam Chelanga, then Chris Derrick. Derrick broke the American Collegiate record of Galen Rupp, running 27:31.38, which also is a Stanford school record. Derrick and Levins should make the NCAA long races pretty exciting.
SIX
WORLD LEADS
STANFORD
(USA, Apr 29): Daegu 10 km medalist Sally Kipyego’s solo 14:43.11 for 5000m was
just one of six world-leading marks set in the middle and long distance events
at the Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational at Stanford University. Athletes
enjoyed near-perfect conditions: warm in the late afternoon for the middle
distance races, and cool at night for the longer events. For Kipyego it was her
only 5k before the Kenyan Trials.
Behind Kipyego, her Nike Oregon Track Club
teammate Julia Lucas achieved a USA-leading 15:08.52, well inside of the
IAAF Olympic Games „A” standard of 15:20. American Julie Culley (15:13.87),
Britons Barbara Parker (15:14.26) and Steph Twell (15:15.24), and Jessica Tebo
(15:19.43) also finished within the Olympic „A” standard.
In the men’s 5000m,
USA Olympian Lopez Lomong provided the small crowd with a different kind
of thrill. Making his 5000m debut on the track, Lomong scooted away from the
field with a 53.2-second penultimate lap, then spread his arms as if he
had won and stopped running, even though there was still one lap remaining in
the race. Despite the long pause, he nonetheless ran 66.3 seconds for the final
lap to win in a world-leading 13:11.63. Kenya’s Kevin Chelimo got second
(13:14.57) and Matt Tegenkamp third in 13:15.00 with Britons Chris Thompson
fourth 13:15.21 and Thomas Farrell fifth 13:15.31. In all, seven athletes got
under the Olympic „A” standard of 13:20.00.
The women’s 10,000m race saw a spirited
battle between Iowa State star Betsy Saina and marathoner Amy Hastings which
resulted in yet another world-leading time. Hastings and Saina ran together for
most of the final eight laps, until Saina pulled away with 250 meters to go to
get the win in 31:15.97, a new collegiate record, to Hastings’s 31:19.87,
a personal best. Ireland’s Fionnuala Britton finished third in a career
best 31:29.22. Britain’s Julia Bleasdale (31:29.57), America’s Janet
Cherobon-Bawcom (31:33.50) and Lisa Uhl (31:35.50) all got under the Olympic „A”
standard. Former American record holder Deena Kastor got close in her first
track race in five years, clocking 31:49.23 in seventh place.
The men’s 10 000
m saw Canadian Cameron Levins winning in a world leading 27:27.96 ahead of
Kenyan Sam Chelanga 27:29.82 and US Chris Derrick with American collegiate
record of 27:31.38 in third place, despite being spiked repeatedly on his
shins. Fourth Italian Daniele Meucci improved to 27:32.86.
The other two world
leaders came in the 1500m races. In the men’s contest, Britain’s Andy Baddeley
closed very strongly in 3:35.19 to get the win and narrowly beat the Olympic „A”
standard of 3:35.50. Second Norway´s Henrik Ingebrigtsen improved the national
record from 1976 (3:37.4 by Lars Martin Kaupang) with 3:36.39 and third Zane Robertson
of New Zealand improved to 3:36.53. Twelve men broke 3:40.00, including
American mile record holder Alan Webb who clocked 3:38.86.
Anna Pierce won the
women’s 1500m with a powerful kick from 150 meters out in 4:07.00. In the
other distance events, no Olympic „A” standards were achieved. Prince Mumba of
Zambia (1:47.04) and Morgan Uceny (2:02.46) won the 800m, and Kyle Alcorn
(8:26.66) and Shalaya Kipp (9:43.09) won the steeplechase events. Jill
Camarena-Williams won the shot put with 19.54.
With the help from Race Results
Weekly.
