American Record and World Best Set at Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile Run

By Adam Kopet of DyeStat

Stanley Kebenei broke a 36-year-old American record Sunday at the Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10-Mile Run in Washington, D.C. His time of 46:00 took 13 seconds off the record.

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Defending champion Jemal Yimer of Ethiopia won the race in 45:36. It was Yimer’s first win of the year after correcting  mistakes near the finish of the Houston Half Marathon and the Bahrain Night Half Marathon that caused him to finish second in both instances. The latter mistake cost Yimer $75,000.

Kebenei finished fourth overall, behind Yimer and the Kenyan duo of Josphat Tanui (45:38) and Edwin Kibichiy (45:58). When Greg Meyer ran the American record in 1983, he did so at Cherry Blossom in his lead-up to his Boston Marathon win that year. In comparison, Kebenei was coming off a disappointing race at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships.

The women’s race featured a women’s-only world best from Mary Wanjiru of Kenya. She pulled away to win in 50:42. Gotytom Gebreslase of Ethiopia was second in 50:47. The IAAF does not recognize 10 miles as a world record eligible event. Few international races are set up with timing at 10 miles, making it a rarely contested event.

Emma Bates finished sixth overall as the top American. Her time of 52:18 was six seconds off the women’s-only American record. Molly Huddle holds the mixed-race record at 50:52, set en route to her half marathon American record.

Rotterdam Marathon

The first Americans achieved the 2020 Olympic marathon standard this week at the Rotterdam Marathon. Aliphine Tuliamuk finished third at the IAAF Gold Label race in 2:26:50, running a personal best by more than six minutes. Roberta Groner also got the standard with her fifth place finish in 2:29:09.

RESULTS

Ashate Bekere of Ethiopia won the women’s race in 2:22:55. Kenya’s Stella Barsosio was second in 2:23:36.

Aided by the pacing of training partner Ben Bruce, Tuliamuk used a steady pace to move up throughout the race. She started out eighth and then slowly worked her way through the field as other athletes slowed from a hot early pace. She moved into third in the final seven kilometers.

Tuliamuk made three previous attempts at the marathon, but never lived up to the potential her shorter races indicated were possible. One of the reasons she joined HOKA ONE ONE Northern Arizona Elite (NAZ Elite) last year was to get better at the marathon. She has done just that. Her time places her 14th on the U.S. all-time performer list.

Groner used a similar strategy as Tuliamuk. However, she had to start with the sub-elites behind the top athletes invited to the race. The 41-year-old mother of three and full time nurse broke 2:30 for the first time in her career and earned her first top-five finish at a major international marathon.

The men’s race featured the fastest time of the weekend by Marius Kipserem of Kenya. He won on the streets of Rotterdam, breaking the course record with a time of 2:04:11. It was a personal best for Kipserem, although he crossed the line at the Abu Dhabi Marathon last December a few second faster. However, the Abu Dhabi course was short about 200 meters.

In all, 10 men and six women bettered the 2020 Olympic marathon standard in Rotterdam. Noah Droddy, who had hoped to earn the standard running from the non-elite start, faded badly over the final miles. He still finished as the top American in 20th with a time of 2:19:07.

Carlsbad 5000

Edward Cheserek equaled the world record for the road 5K Sunday at the Carlsbad 5000, running 13:29

RESULTS

The IAAF began recognizing the road 5K as a record eligible event in 2018. Julien Wanders of Switzerland set the current record in February in Monaco. Despite Cheserek sharing in the world record, he was still 29 seconds off the Carlsbad 5000 record of 13:00. Sammy Kipketer of Kenya ran that time twice, in 2000 and 2001.

David Bett of Kenya finished second, 25 seconds behind Cheserek. Reid Buchanan finished third as the top American in 13:56, two seconds behind Bett.

Sharon Lokedi won the women’s race. The former Kansas runner from Kenya won in her first year as a professional athlete. She won the 2018 NCAA Division 1 champion at 10,000 meters.

Charlotte Arter of Great Britain finished second in 16:01. NAZ Elite teammates Danielle Shanahan and Great Britain’s Alice Wright finished third and fourth, running 16:03 and 16:05, respectively.

Erik Boal of DyeStat was onsite with a story and athlete interviews.

Half Marathon Action

Entering the weekend, eyes were on Sifan Hassan. The Dutch member of the Nike Oregon Project was looking to break the half marathon world record at the Berlin Half Marathon. Hassan won the women’s race in 1:05:45, but well off the standard of 1:04:51 by Kenya’s Joyciline Jepkosgei in 2017.

The men’s race in Berlin proved competitive with three men finishing within two seconds. William Wanjiku came away the winner in 1:01:00, ahead of Kilimo Rhonzas in 1:01:01 and Alfred Ngeno in 1:01:02. Kenya swept the top five places.

Hassan’s time was fast, albeit off her best of 1:05:15 from last year. However, her time was not the fastest of the weekend. At the Prague Half Marathon, Caroline Chepkoech Kipkirui got the win in 1:05:44, one second faster than Hassan.

But it was Ruth Chepngetich of Kenya who had the fastest women’s half marathon of the weekend, competing at the Istanbul Half Marathon. Her time of 1:05:30 is the second fastest in the world this year behind Brigid Kosgei who won the Bahrain Night Half Marathon last month in 1:05:28.

The fastest men’s half marathon the weekend came in Prague. Bernard Kimei and Felix Kibitok, both of Kenya, dueled to the finish. Kimei won in 59:07 and Kibitok finished one second back.

Amy Cragg competed in Prague, although she did not have her best race. She was seventh in 1:13:27.

Milan Marathon

Titus Ekiru of Kenya joined the sub-2:05 club Sunday by running 2:04:46 to win the Milan Marathon. That set the Italy all-comers record.

RESULTS

Vivian Jerono Kiplagat of Kenya won the women’s race, also breaking the Italy all-comers record with her 2:22:25 finishing time. It was also the fastest women’s marathon of the weekend..