Projo Running Blog

Sorry for the delay, but here is a recap of the 34th annual Falmouth Road Race, held Aug. 13 in Falmouth, Mass., provided courtesy of Running USA Wire:

Gilbert Okari of Kenya claimed his third consecutive title after he crossed the finish line at the Falmouth Road Race presented by CIGNA. The 28-year-old Kenyan broke the tape in 31 minutes and 53 seconds, which is 45 seconds off his course record, 31:08 set in 2004, on the 7-mile course from Woods Hole to Falmouth Heights. Kenyan men took the first seven places overall. Top Americans were 10th, 12th and 13th.

Alvetina Ivanova, age 31, from Russia won her second Falmouth crown, finishing in 35:43, besting three-time Falmouth winner, Catherine Ndereba of Kenya by 47 seconds. Edna Kiplagat, 26, of Kenya followed closely behind in third with a time of 36:51.

The field of 10,233 entrants enjoyed early fall-like weather with bright sun, blue skies and temperatures in the high 60s. Just before the 10 a.m. start the runners and spectators alike were treated to a military fly-over by a U.S. Coast Guard Falcon jet and two Massachusetts Air National Guard F-15s based at Otis Air Force Base. As a result of the near perfect weather, 8,256 runners crossed the finish line, the largest Falmouth field ever to do so.

In the Men's race, a group of 20 runners passed the Nobska Light first mile in a relatively conservative 4:41. Leaders included Kenyans Okari, three-time Falmouth winner John Korir, William Chebon Chebor, James Koskei and Luke Kipkosgei. Between miles one and two, as the course wound through the woods, the men continued to share the work running a steady, tactical race. The pack passed mile two in 9:24; a leisurely 4:43 split.

As the pack began its cruise along Surf Drive, lined with a flotilla of sightseeing boats, Chebor began to push the pace. At mile three, the leaders posted a 13:58 with a slightly faster 4:35 split. Just past the four mile marker, after the leaders clocked 18:22 with an ever-faster 4:24, Okari made his move, putting in a strong, steady surge stringing out the pack with Tom Nyariki and John Korir on his heels. Nothing was holding Okari back. He steadily improved his lead to 10 seconds, then 20 seconds clocking 22:44 at five miles and 28:15 for 10K on his way to a crushing win in 31:53. Nyariki finished second in 32:03, while Korir followed in 32:39 for his third consecutive third-place finish.

Edwardo Torres, 25, from Boulder, Colo., finished 10th overall and led the U.S. men in a time of 33:27 greatly improving his 2004 26th place finish. Twenty-nine-year-old fellow American, Peter Gilmore of San Mateo, Calif., finished 12th overall in 33:32. Immediately following, in 13th place, was Mbarak Hussein, age 41, of Albuquerque, N.M. finishing in 33:37. Hussein collected prize money in two categories by winning the Master's Division while finishing third in the American Men's Division.

Ivanova, who ran her own race, never acknowledged her competitors and took the women's race virtually wire-to-wire. The Russian led Ndereba and Kiplagat posting 5:01 at mile one, 10:09 at mile two, 15:15 at mile three, 20:38 at mile four and 25:26 at mile five. Ndereba, three-time Falmouth and Boston Marathon champ, immediately saw that the 2004 race champion was running strongly and was not going to be challenged on this day.

In her Falmouth debut, former Providence College standout Amy Rudolph, 32, placed fifth overall and first U.S. in 37:02. Also, in her first Falmouth run, 24-year-old Victoria Jackson of Lake Bluffs, Ill. was seventh overall in 37:31 followed immediately by Elva Dryer, age 34 of Albuquerque, N.M. in 37:52.

In a time of 37:59, former South African Colleen De Reuck, age 42 of Boulder, Colo., repeated her "three-peat" from 2005. She collected prize money in three categories - ninth overall, fourth place American and first masters. Ukrainian Tatyana Pozdnyakova, age 51, placed second in the Master's Division (39:26) adding to her second place masters finish in 2005 and first place masters in 2000, 2002 and 2004.

Among notable Falmouth finishers and Olympians this year were three-time Falmouth winner Bill Rodgers, age 58, of Sherborn, Mass., two-time winner Frank Shorter, age 58, of Boulder, Colo. and six-time Falmouth winner, Joan Benoit Samuelson, age 49 of Freeport, Me., who finished 28th overall in the Women's Division with a time of 42:30.

34th Falmouth Road Race presented by CIGNA
Falmouth, MA, Sunday, August 13, 2006

MEN
1) Gilbert Okari, KEN, 31:53, $10,000
2) Tom Nyariki, KEN, 32:03, $5000
3) John Korir, KEN, 32:39, $2000
4) William Chebon Chebor, KEN, 32:44, $1500
5) James Koskei, KEN, 32:47, $1000
6) Charles Kiama, KEN, 33:05, $800
7) Samuel Ndereba, KEN, 33:15, $650
8) Michael Aish, NZL, 33:20, $600
9) Mohamed Fadil, MAR, 33:26, $450
10) Edwardo Torres, USA / CO, 33:27, $5350
11) Luke Kipkosgei, KEN, 33:30
12) Peter Gilmore, USA / CA, 33:32, $3000
13) Mbarak Hussein, 41, USA / NM, 33:37, $4500
14) Clint Wells, USA / CO, 33:38, $1500
15) Ryan Shay, USA / MI, 33:49, $1000

MASTERS Men (40+)
1) Hussein, see above
2) Sean Wade, 40, TX, 34:50, $1300
3) Paul Aufdemberge, 41, MI, 35:20, $950
4) Oscar Gonzalez Barreto, 42, CT, 36:48, $500
5) Darren De Reuck, 41, CO, 37:24, $250

WOMEN
1) Alevtina Ivanova, RUS, 35:43, $10,000
2) Catherine Ndereba, KEN, 36:30, $5000
3) Edna Kiplagat, KEN, 36:51, $2000
4) Luminita Talpos, ROM, 36:57, $1500
5) Amy Rudolph, USA / RI, 37:02, $6000
6) Lyudmila Biktasheva, RUS, 37:24, $800
7) Victoria Jackson, USA / IL, 37:31, $3650
8) Elva Dryer, USA/NM, 37:52, $2600
9) Colleen De Reuck, 42, USA / CO, 37:59, $4450
10) Galina Alexandrova, RUS, 38:23, $350
11) Maggie Chan-Roper, USA / SC, 38:32, $1000
12) Natalia Belova, RUS, 38:49
13) Katsuko Kanno, JPN, 38:50
14) Sara Hall, USA / CA, 38:55, $800
15) Kathy Newberry, USA / VA, 38:57, $600

MASTERS Women (40+)
1) De Reuck, see above
2) Tatyana Pozdnyakova, 51, UKR, 39:26, $1000
3) Patty Murray, 41, CO, 39:40, $750
4) Michelle Simonaitis, 40, UT, 40:48, $500
5) Luisa Maria Servin, 43, MEX, 41:43, $250

Full results are available at: FalmouthRoadRace.com

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