By Jim Hage
Rockville, MD
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Kenyans Julius Kogo and Risper Gesabwa took advantage of a prevailing tailwind to set men’s and women’s course records of 28 minutes 6 seconds and 32:07 at the 16th Kaiser Permanente Pike’s Peek 10K in Rockville.
And while the point-to-point course notably features a net loss in elevation, give the winners, four new age-group record holders, the many who lowered their PRs, and all of the 2,558 finishers their due: Rockville Pike rolls down and up and the early-morning wind was gusty and changeable. The day the wind blows steadily from the north, even these formidable records will fall.
But for now, Kogo, 25, and Gesabwa, 22, are at the top of their games; gone are the old marks of 28:30 by Tesfaye Bekele (2009) and 32:45 by Jen Rhines (1998). Last year at Pike’s Peak, Kogo was the runner-up – by one second–to Ethiopian Bado Worku, who won in 28:43.
Photo left: The men’s lead pack about 3.5 miles into the race. “I didn’t want to be second again,” Kogo (Bib #2) conceded, and with a quick third mile he winnowed a pack of 15 to just three. Only Nicholas Kurgat (#21), who trains with Kogo in Chapel Hill, N.C., and Abiyot Endale (#10), the affable Ethiopian from the Bronx, stayed close. Kurgat finished second in 28:14 and Endale took third in 28:19, a 55-second personal best established at last year’s race when he finished ninth.
“My dream was to break 29 minutes,” Endale said, “so I am very happy. I am recovered from a knee injury [chondromalacia] and am training good again.” Endale, 24, ran 29:18 and finished third at the Ukrop’s Monument Avenue 10K in Richmond on April 4.
Another surprised but happy runner was Jeffrey Eggleston, 26, seventh and the first American in 28:34, a personal best by a whopping 83 seconds. “My PR was kind of soft, but I’m really excited,” said Eggleston, primarily a marathoner who is training for the World Championships in South Korea this summer.
“My plan today was to hang as long as I could. And we needed someone to represent the U.S.!” Eggleston added. “It was a great field but I wasn’t afraid. I beat Girma Tola [eighth in 28:45] who ran 10K at the Sydney Olympics. So that’s cool.”
Former Georgetown University track standout and now medical student Maggie Infeld, 25, was the top American woman, 10th in 34:07.
Gesabwa’s one-second win over Ethiopian Alemtseha Misganaw was another in a series of close races between not-quite-friendly rivals. Gesabwa complained afterward that Misganaw ran too close, clipping her heels repeatedly.
“She was right here!” Gesabwa said, slapping her hip. Gesabwa nearly won this year’s Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile, where Misganaw took fourth. Gesabwa also bested Misganaw by two seconds at the Azalea Trail 10K Run (Mobile, Ala.) in March.
Denise Knickman (photo left), 42, ran 37:02 to win the women’s masters race and Joseph Ekuom, 41, took the men’s masters title in 31:39.
Some 15 members of the Bethesda-Chevy Chase rescue squad–emergency medical technicians, firefighters, and paramedics–completed the race. Two more members rode bikes along the course to provide first aid support.
The rescue squad’s Craig Pernick, 50, from Chevy Chase, ran his first 10K, competing admirably if not quite finishing alongside team members such as Oliver Vickery, 18. “It was good to finish,” Pernick said. “I’ll do it again as long as my knees hold out.”
Award Winners
Open & Masters By Gun Time, Age Groups By Net Time No Duplicate Prizes MALE OPEN Gun Time $$$ 1 2 Julius Kogo 25 Chapel Hill NC 28:06# 1000 2 21 Nicholas Kurgat 31 Chapel Hill NC 28:14# 750 3 10 Abiyot Endale 24 Bronx NY 28:19# 650 4 7 Kumsa Adugna 24 Bronx NY 28:23# 600 5 4 Deresse Deniboba 28 Bronx NY 28:28# 550 6 13 Reuben Mwei 26 Marietta GA 28:32# 500 7 5 Jeffrey Eggleston 26 Flagstaff AZ 28:34# 450 8 6 Girma Tola 35 New York NY 28:45# 400 9 22 Kipyegon Kirui 30 Chapel Hill NC 28:47# 350 10 3 Tesfaye Assefa 27 Bronx NY 28:57# 300 # Under USATF OPEN guideline FEMALE OPEN Gun Time 1 16 Risper Gesabwa 22 Marietta GA 32:07# 1000 2 17 Alemtseha Misganaw 30 New York NY 32:08# 750 3 32 Aziza Aliyu 25 New York NY 32:22# 650 4 18 Malika Mejdoub 28 Jackson Heights NY 32:42# 600 5 20 Hirut Mandefro 25 Flagstaff AZ 32:48# 550 6 24 Hellen Jemutai 29 Chapel Hill NC 32:54# 500 7 35 Yihunlish Bekele 29 Washington DC 33:20# 450 8 23 Divina Jepkogei 25 Chapel Hill NC 33:22# 400 9 34 Tezeta Dengersa 30 Burtonsville MD 33:39# 350 10 1465 Maggie Infeld 25 Washington DC 34:07 300 # Under USATF OPEN guideline MALE MASTERS Gun Time 1 41 Joseph Ekuom 41 High Falls NY 31:39* 250 2 28 Elarbi Khattabi 43 Westchester PA 31:58* 200 3 43 Curtis Cox 43 Trinidad WI 32:02* 150 * Under USATF Age-Group guideline FEMALE MASTERS Gun Time 1 42 Denise Knickman 42 Baltimore MD 37:02* 250 2 45 Alisa Harvey 45 Manassas VA 37:45* 200 3 25 Elena Orlova 41 Gaithersburg MD 38:12 150 * Under USATF Age-Group guideline MALE AGE GROUP: 15 - 19 Net Time 1 2593 Dagmawi Abebe 17 Gaithersburg MD 34:10 75 2 2507 Patrick Ochoa 17 Derwood MD 40:14 50 FEMALE AGE GROUP: 15 - 19 Net Time 1 1760 Allison Marella 15 Damascus MD 42:22 75 2 2485 Alex Starnes 15 Manassas VA 46:01 50 MALE AGE GROUP: 20 - 24 Net Time 1 56 Andy Sovonick 24 Gaithersburg MD 32:16 75 2 2738 Benjamin Bartlett 23 Columbia MD 34:03 50 3 234 Alex Booth 23 Bethesda MD 34:29 25 FEMALE AGE GROUP: 20 - 24 Net Time 1 1923 Rebecca Parks 22 Reisterstown MD 39:14 75 2 3029 Alison Case 23 Rockville MD 41:15 50 3 607 Amy Greenberg 23 Potomac MD 46:41 25 MALE AGE GROUP: 25 - 29 Net Time 1 36 David Berdan 29 Owings Mills MD 29:30# 75 2 75 Birhanu Feysa 28 Silver Spring MD 29:34# 50 3 71 Tarikii Bokan 29 Herndon VA 29:34# 25 # Under USATF OPEN guideline FEMALE AGE GROUP: 25 - 29 Net Time 1 31 Dirbe Hunde 27 New York NY 34:09 75 2 69 Keneni Chala 29 Washington DC 34:36 50 3 33 Muliye Gurmu 27 Bronx NY 35:33 25 MALE AGE GROUP: 30 - 34 Net Time 1 8 Kitema Nigusse 30 Bronx NY 29:24# 75 2 38 Mark Stallings 30 Atglen PA 30:06 50 3 15 Wilson Komen 33 Washington DC 30:18 25 # Under USATF OPEN guideline FEMALE AGE GROUP: 30 - 34 Net Time 1 30 Michelle Miller 30 Damascus MD 35:36 75 2 603 Elizabeth Young 31 Washington DC 37:30 50 3 60 Lynn Knothe 33 Wilmington DE 39:03 25 MALE AGE GROUP: 35 - 39 Net Time 1 14 Michael Wardian 37 Arlington VA 30:21* 75 2 40 Troy Harrison 35 Waterfall PA 31:38* 50 3 1804 David Wertz 35 Arlington VA 32:03* 25 4 1295 Kris Simms 39 Baltimore MD 35:08 25 5 1113 Keith Freeburn 37 Centreville VA 35:49 25 * Under USATF Age-Group guideline FEMALE AGE GROUP: 35 - 39 Net Time 1 2680 Brenda Schrank 39 Winchester 36:56 75 2 1256 Sandra Bonilla 35 Kensington MD 42:03 50 3 2657 Christie Yang 39 Falls Church VA 42:57 25 4 274 Kaari Lii Linask 37 Rockville MD 43:29 25 5 1651 Kimberly Price 38 Gaithersburg MD 44:26 25 MALE AGE GROUP: 40 - 44 Net Time 1 2767 Mike Colaiacovo 41 Ellicott City MD 33:30* 75 2 44 Jordan Snyder 44 Rockville MD 33:52* 50 3 3008 Brian Davis 40 Rockville MD 36:39 25 4 1913 Joerg Schroeder 43 Rockville MD 37:04 25 5 2101 Eric Lawrence 43 Potomac MD 38:02 25 * Under USATF Age-Group guideline FEMALE AGE GROUP: 40 - 44 Net Time 1 47 Paula Pels 43 Bethesda MD 40:34 75 2 2159 Cheryl Young 41 Reston VA 42:14 50 3 1639 Janice Lunenfeld 41 Rockville MD 42:52 25 4 2612 Theresa White 41 Annandale VA 43:36 25 5 2807 Alida Anderson 41 Potomac MD 44:18 25 MALE AGE GROUP: 45 - 49 Net Time 1 382 Mark Neff 49 Derwood MD 34:41* 75 2 48 Jhonny Camacho 48 Torrington CT 36:55 50 3 2797 Howard Frost 45 Falls Church VA 37:40 25 4 1033 George Lane 45 Ashburn VA 37:43 25 * Under USATF Age-Group guideline FEMALE AGE GROUP: 45 - 49 Net Time 1 49 Linda Foley 49 Oak Hill VA 39:08 75 2 3254 Leslie Anchor 48 Rockville MD 44:12 50 3 633 Lynn Zipf 46 Silver Spring MD 45:29 25 4 3018 Kris Barner 45 Rockville MD 46:06 25 MALE AGE GROUP: 50 - 54 Net Time 1 1699 Henry Wigglesworth 53 Washington DC 34:20* 75 2 65 Dave Berardi 50 Baltimore MD 34:43* 50 3 51 Greg Cauller 51 York PA 34:44* 25 * Under USATF Age-Group guideline FEMALE AGE GROUP: 50 - 54 Net Time 1 1359 Deedee Loughran 52 Oak Hill VA 40:01* 75 2 2420 Win Persina 51 Washington DC 42:09 50 3 1460 Paula Galliani 51 Gaithersburg MD 45:59 25 * Under USATF Age-Group guideline MALE AGE GROUP: 55 - 59 Net Time 1 59 Chuck Moeser 59 Sterling VA 35:55* 75 2 1285 Roland Rust 58 Bethesda MD 37:36* 50 3 55 Peter Darmody 55 Gaithersburg MD 37:48* 25 * Under USATF Age-Group guideline FEMALE AGE GROUP: 55 - 59 Net Time 1 2672 Betty Blank 58 Falls Church VA 44:11* 75 2 2571 Heather Sanders 55 McLean VA 45:14 50 3 324 Linda Mattingly 56 Hyattsville MD 48:17 25 * Under USATF Age-Group guideline MALE AGE GROUP: 60 - 64 Net Time 1 2117 Timothy Morgan 60 Damascus MD 39:17* 75 2 1751 Richard Adams, Jr. 60 Herndon VA 40:06 50 3 2676 Jim Wright 61 Gaithersburg MD 40:42 25 * Under USATF Age-Group guideline FEMALE AGE GROUP: 60 - 64 Net Time 1 2176 Nancy Avitabile 63 Bethesda MD 48:28 75 2 2458 Alice Franks 62 Rockville MD 48:28 50 3 2276 Anne Forsha 60 Derwood MD 50:53 25 MALE AGE GROUP: 65 - 69 Net Time 1 2095 Donald Hensel 66 Gaithersburg MD 44:35 75 2 684 Michael Golash 67 Washington CA 45:19 50 3 1345 Gregory Chaconas 65 Washington DC 46:38 25 FEMALE AGE GROUP: 65 - 69 Net Time 1 2517 Dee Nelson 67 Gaithersburg MD 49:37* 75 2 914 Joann Szczepkowski 65 Rehoboth Beach DE 49:44* 50 3 2143 Chris Craun 65 Bethesda MD 49:45* 25 * Under USATF Age-Group guideline MALE AGE GROUP: 70 - 74 Net Time 1 2624 Gerald Ives 71 Washington DC 44:26* 75 2 61 John Elliott 72 Columbia MD 46:18* 50 3 2675 Chan Robbins 73 Arlington VA 51:39 25 * Under USATF Age-Group guideline FEMALE AGE GROUP: 70 - 74 Net Time 1 2473 Betty Smith 70 Rockville MD 70:03 75 2 2189 Jamie Wollard 72 N.Bethesda MD 76:17 50 MALE AGE GROUP: 75 - 79 Net Time 1 2515 Skip Grant 75 Chevy Chase MD 48:07* 75 2 1717 George Yannakakis 79 Sparksglencoe MD 51:31* 50 3 2725 Henry Guyot 76 Washington DC 54:03* 25 * Under USATF Age-Group guideline FEMALE AGE GROUP: 75 - 79 Net Time 1 3016 Jacquelin O'Neil 79 Washington DC 77:37 75 MALE AGE GROUP: 80 - 99 Net Time 1 1419 Jack McMahon 80 Silver Spring MD 54:39* 75 * Under USATF Age-Group guideline FEMALE AGE GROUP: 80 - 99 Net Time
By Jim Hage
Washington, DC
April 3, 2011
For the Washington Running Report
After nine miles of a back-and-forth battle with Allan Kiprono at the Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Run, Lelisa Desisa (left) appeared headed for a second straight photo finish. Last year’s race came down to the wire and ended unhappily for Desisa when he was literally pushed aside by the winner, Stephen Tum, in a pell-mell sprint. Desisa finished second.
So this year the Ethiopian made his move with 800 meters to go, decisively dropping Kiprono and cruising alone to the tape as the undisputed champion in a event record 45 minutes 36 seconds – Ismael Kirui set the record of 45:38 in 1995.
Kiprono, from Kenya, finished second in 45:41.
“Last year I was happy,” said Lelisa Desisa, 21, whose claim of interference in 2010 was denied. “Today, I am more happy.”
Similarly, Julliah Tinega, the women’s runner-up last year, earned vindication with her one second win over fellow Kenyan Risper Gesabwa. Tinega’s time of 54:02 better reflected the cold and breezy conditions that made Desisa’s record even more impressive.
Tgist Tufa ran 54:13 to finish third in a truncated women’s-only field of just eight, who started 10 minutes before the men’s and open field. Three-time defending women’s champion Lineth Chepkurui was a late scratch.
Two-time men’s champion (2008 and ‘09) Ridouane Harroufi, 29, from Morocco, ran with the leaders until seven miles before losing contact and finishing third in 46:27. “Today is my first race this year,” Harroufi said. “The pace was very fast and my legs felt heavy. Maybe next race I feel better.”
Lucas Meyer, 27, a third-year law student at the University of Connecticut, ran 48:26 and finished 13th. As the first American, Meyer earned $1,000. Local (D.C.) resident David Nightingale, 25, was one place back in 48:39 and earned $500.
Claire Hallissey, 28, (left) a native of Britain who lives in Arlington, finished fifth among the women in 56:17, good for $1,000 in prize money. Late-blooming Kelly Jaske, 34, from Portland, Ore., was the first American, sixth in 57:06. Jaske, a criminal defense lawyer, has been running competitively for less than five years. She was fifth at last year’s race.
Nianxiang Xie, 83, from Rockville, was the oldest finisher in 1:58:26.
Ben Beach, 61, from Bethesda, ran 1:37:18 to extend his streak as the only runner to have completed every Cherry Blossom race. This year’s 39th edition featured a record 15,968 finishers.
Top 25 Finishers
Men
Place Div /Tot Num Name Ag Hometown 5 Mile Gun Tim Net Tim Pace
===== =========== ====== ====================== == ==================== ======= ======= ======= =====
1 1/398 3 Lelisa Desisa 21 Ethiopia 45:36 45:36 4:34
2 2/398 13 Allan Kiprono 21 Kenya 23:08 45:41 45:41 4:35
3 1/1466 5 Ridouane Harroufi 29 Morocco 23:10 46:27 46:27 4:39
4 3/398 17 Lani Kiplagat 22 Kenya 23:09 46:30 46:30 4:39
5 2/1466 27 Macdonard Ondara 26 Kenya 21:41 46:52 46:52 4:42
6 3/1466 29 Tesfaye Sendeku 28 Ethiopia 23:15 46:53 46:53 4:42
7 4/1466 21 Stephen Muange 29 Kenya 23:24 47:30 47:30 4:45
8 4/398 23 Simon Cheprot 21 Kenya 23:14 47:32 47:32 4:46
9 5/1466 31 Josphat Boit 27 Kenya 23:24 47:50 47:50 4:47
10 1/1075 25 Girma Tola 35 Ethiopia 23:27 47:56 47:56 4:48
11 5/398 47 Ezkyas Sisay 22 Ethiopia 23:34 47:58 47:58 4:48
12 6/1466 51 Tesfaye Assefa 27 Ethiopia 23:42 48:03 48:03 4:49
13 7/1466 33 Lucas Meyer 27 Ridgefield CT 24:06 48:26 48:26 4:51
14 8/1466 296 David Nightingale 25 Washington DC 24:10 48:39 48:39 4:52
15 9/1466 45 Augustus Maiyo 27 Colorado Springs CA 24:18 49:56 49:56 5:00
16 10/1466 107 Karl Dusen 28 N Bethesda MD 25:13 50:06 50:06 5:01
17 1/1326 105 Bert Rodriguez 31 Arlington VA 25:08 50:25 50:25 5:03
18 6/398 297 Sam Luff 24 Rockville MD 25:22 50:45 50:45 5:05
19 7/398 106 Jerry Greenlaw 23 Alexandria VA 25:19 50:55 50:55 5:06
20 11/1466 112 Brian Flynn 27 Weyers Cave VA 25:24 51:08 51:08 5:07
21 12/1466 49 Birhanu Alemu 28 Ethiopia 25:09 51:10 51:10 5:07
22 2/1075 20510 Michael Wardian 36 Arlington VA 25:20 51:16 51:16 5:08
23 13/1466 304 Joe Wiegner 29 Rockville MD 25:25 51:34 51:34 5:10
24 14/1466 109 Dirk De Heer 29 Silver Spring MD 25:44 51:40 51:40 5:10
25 15/1466 108 David Burnham 26 Arlington VA 25:37 51:49 51:46 5:11
