Tigrai Online
August 16 2010

FALMOUTH – In his mind, Gebre Gebremariam had already beaten Wilson Kwambai Chebet when the two climbed the final mile of the 38th-annual Falmouth Road Race yesterday morning.

Though the two 25-year-olds, from Ethiopia and Kenya, respectively, ran the final 2½ miles of the seven-mile course stride-for-stride, Gebremariam said he never doubted his final speed burst would result in a victory in his first-ever Falmouth.

“I (wasn't) worried at all,” Gebremariam said, reveling in a rare sweep of summer road races, adding Falmouth to his victories in the Peachtree 10K in July and Beach to Beacon 10K last weekend.

He is the third consecutive Falmouth Road Race champion from Ethiopia after Tilahun Regessa (2008) and Tadese Tola (2009) became the first two Ethiopian winners in race history.

“I came (to the U.S. this summer) with a good feeling from my country,” he said. “I didn't know (if I would) win every race but I am in good shape to make good time and to make good results ... Now I know who I am in the road race.”

In an all-out sprint down the final hill toward the finish line, Gebremariam clocked in at 32:20, a 4:37 pace per mile, and Chebet registered at 32:21. The one-second differential tied 1995 and 2001 for the closest finishes in the race's 38-year history.

Fellow Ethiopian Wude Ayalew Yimer was the women's winner in a time of 35:36, edging Kenya's Lineth Chepkurui by four seconds at the finish. Colleen De Reuck was the top American woman, as well as the women's Masters winner, in a time of 38:10.

American Ed Moran, who ran the Falmouth Mile on Saturday night in 4:02.03, led yesterday for the first three miles before being swallowed by the pack between the third and fourth mile markers. He maintained his speed enough to become the top American male and finished fifth overall in a time of 32:40.

“I wanted to go out a little bit harder today just because I knew, after the race (Saturday) night, that I was going to be a little bit fatigued and it was going to be really difficult to change gears later in the race,” said Moran, who added that he came to Falmouth to break four minutes in the mile race and plans to return every year until he does so.

Source Cape Code Times, Read More

Sponsored Links

More