20-09-2010, 06:57 AM
Defar Sets U.S. All-Comers Record at ING Rock 'n' Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon .. Kisorio breaks event record; largest field in event's 33-year history with 18,600-plus entrants By Dan Cruz, Competitor Group
PHILADELPHIA - (September 19, 2010) - Kenya's Matthew Kisorio and Ethiopia's Meseret Defar wrote themselves into the record books with superb runs of 1 hour, 15 seconds and 1:07:44 at the ING Rock 'n' Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon on Sunday morning.
In her half-marathon debut, Defar, 26, smashed the U.S. All-Comers record, running the fastest time ever run by a woman on American soil for 13.1 miles. Her time bested countrywoman Berhane Adere's previous of mark 1:07:52 set earlier this year at the Rock 'n' Roll Mardi Gras Half Marathon. Defar's time also shattered the event record of 1:07:53 by Deena Kastor in 2005.
"My feeling is good with my first half-marathon," Defar said after the 33rd race edition. "I won it. This is very big for me. I had the speed and knew that with the last 2K, I could push and win it."
Kenyan Lineth Chepkirui finished just two ticks back with an impressive 1:07:46, followed by Ethiopian Werknesh Kidane in 1:08:30. American Shalane Flanagan finished 4th in 1:08:36, a personal record, as she preps for her upcoming marathon debut at New York City.
On the men's side, Kisorio, 21, a World Junior 5000meter silver medalist, broke Khalid Khannouchi's 1997 event mark by 12 seconds. 2009 World Cross Country champion Gebre Gebremariam of Ethiopia finished ten seconds back in second place (1:00:25). Brett Gotcher of Flagstaff, Ariz. was the top American finisher in ninth place, running 1:02:50. Defending race champion and U.S. record holder Ryan Hall finished a disappointing 13th in 1:03:55.
33rd ING Rock 'n' Roll Philadelphia 1/2 Marathon
Philadelphia, PA, Sunday, September 19, 2010
MEN
1) Matthew Kisorio (KEN), 1:00:15*
2) Gebre Gebremariam (ETH), 1:00:25
3) Abderrahim Goumri (MAR), 1:01:33
4) Peter Some (KEN), 1:01:34
5) Simon Bairu (CAN), 1:02:08
6) Alistair Cragg (IRL), 1:02:15
7) Wesley Korir (KEN), 1:02:40
8) Shawn Forest (AUS), 1:02:44
9) Brett Gotcher (USA / AZ) 1:02:50
10) Boaz Cheboiywo (KEN), 1:03:02
*event record (previous, 1:00:27, Khalid Khannouchi (MAR), 1997)
WOMEN
1) Meseret Defar (ETH), 1:07:44*
2) Lineth Chepkirui (KEN), 1:07:46
3) Werknesh Kidane (ETH), 1:08:30
4) Shalane Flanagan (USA / OR), 1:08:36
5) Kim Smith (NZL), 1:08:39
6) Caroline Rotich (KEN), 1:10:24
7) Katie McGregor (USA / MN), 1:12:04
8) Stephanie Herbst Lucke, 44, USA / GA, 1:12:15
9) Chaofeng Jia (CHN), 1:12:46
10) Deratu Tulu (ETH), 1:13:01
*pending U.S. All-Comers record and event record (previous, 1:07:52, Berhane Adere (ETH), Rock 'n' Roll Mardi Gras, 02/28/10 and 1:07:53, Deena Kastor (USA), 2005)
PHILADELPHIA - (September 19, 2010) - Kenya's Matthew Kisorio and Ethiopia's Meseret Defar wrote themselves into the record books with superb runs of 1 hour, 15 seconds and 1:07:44 at the ING Rock 'n' Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon on Sunday morning.
In her half-marathon debut, Defar, 26, smashed the U.S. All-Comers record, running the fastest time ever run by a woman on American soil for 13.1 miles. Her time bested countrywoman Berhane Adere's previous of mark 1:07:52 set earlier this year at the Rock 'n' Roll Mardi Gras Half Marathon. Defar's time also shattered the event record of 1:07:53 by Deena Kastor in 2005.
"My feeling is good with my first half-marathon," Defar said after the 33rd race edition. "I won it. This is very big for me. I had the speed and knew that with the last 2K, I could push and win it."
Kenyan Lineth Chepkirui finished just two ticks back with an impressive 1:07:46, followed by Ethiopian Werknesh Kidane in 1:08:30. American Shalane Flanagan finished 4th in 1:08:36, a personal record, as she preps for her upcoming marathon debut at New York City.
On the men's side, Kisorio, 21, a World Junior 5000meter silver medalist, broke Khalid Khannouchi's 1997 event mark by 12 seconds. 2009 World Cross Country champion Gebre Gebremariam of Ethiopia finished ten seconds back in second place (1:00:25). Brett Gotcher of Flagstaff, Ariz. was the top American finisher in ninth place, running 1:02:50. Defending race champion and U.S. record holder Ryan Hall finished a disappointing 13th in 1:03:55.
33rd ING Rock 'n' Roll Philadelphia 1/2 Marathon
Philadelphia, PA, Sunday, September 19, 2010
MEN
1) Matthew Kisorio (KEN), 1:00:15*
2) Gebre Gebremariam (ETH), 1:00:25
3) Abderrahim Goumri (MAR), 1:01:33
4) Peter Some (KEN), 1:01:34
5) Simon Bairu (CAN), 1:02:08
6) Alistair Cragg (IRL), 1:02:15
7) Wesley Korir (KEN), 1:02:40
8) Shawn Forest (AUS), 1:02:44
9) Brett Gotcher (USA / AZ) 1:02:50
10) Boaz Cheboiywo (KEN), 1:03:02
*event record (previous, 1:00:27, Khalid Khannouchi (MAR), 1997)
WOMEN
1) Meseret Defar (ETH), 1:07:44*
2) Lineth Chepkirui (KEN), 1:07:46
3) Werknesh Kidane (ETH), 1:08:30
4) Shalane Flanagan (USA / OR), 1:08:36
5) Kim Smith (NZL), 1:08:39
6) Caroline Rotich (KEN), 1:10:24
7) Katie McGregor (USA / MN), 1:12:04
8) Stephanie Herbst Lucke, 44, USA / GA, 1:12:15
9) Chaofeng Jia (CHN), 1:12:46
10) Deratu Tulu (ETH), 1:13:01
*pending U.S. All-Comers record and event record (previous, 1:07:52, Berhane Adere (ETH), Rock 'n' Roll Mardi Gras, 02/28/10 and 1:07:53, Deena Kastor (USA), 2005)