women’s race went off first and world half marathon record holder and 2011
London Marathon winner Mary Keitany of Kenya set a ferocious pace from the
outset.
The third place finisher here in 2010, Keitany would streak
through 5K in 15:32ÛÓtwo seconds faster than the men would cover the same
distance. Her time halfway was 1:07:56, which gave her a two minute 30 second
lead over the pursuit.
The chase pack included Providence, RI resident and New
Zealand Olympian Kim Smith for awhile, but Smith fell off an aggressive pace
and chose to catch runners coming back late in the race.
Keitany’s strategy was either brilliant or foolhardy and
ended up somewhere in between as the wheels came off over the second half (1:14:42) and she was caught by Rome
Marathon winner Firehiwot Dado and fellow pre-race favorite Buzunesh Deba, both
of Ethiopia.
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Dado would edge ahead over the final two miles to win by
4-seconds over Deba in 2:13:15. Keitany would duplicate her 2010 placing in
2:23:38. Smith would place 5th in 2:25:46.
While the men’s race started slowly, it began to accelerate
and at 20 miles a pack of seven were running at 2:06 pace. Incredibly, 2011
Boston Marathon champion Geoffrey Mutai
(2:03:02) thought this a bit dawdling and picked it up.
Mutai legitimized his Boston showing by breaking the 11
year-old 2:07:43 course record by two minutes 37 seconds to post up in 2:05:06.
Kenya’s Emmanuel Mutai (2:06:28) and Tsegaye Kebede of Ethiopia (2:07:13) would
also break the previous CR with defending champion, Gebre Gebremariam, fourth
in 2:08-flat.
Top American and past NYC champion Meb Keflezighi stopped
“to puke” after 20 miles, running a 5:30 mile but then finishing strongly to
set a PR of 2:09:13 at age 36 just 70 days before the US Olympic Trials
Marathon in Houston.
In his debut marathon, 27:43 10K runner Ed Moran, 30 (VA)
placed 10th overall in 2:11:46. – Bob F.
Top Men Finishers
1. Mutai, Geoffrey (KEN) – 2:05:06 (CR) / $200,000
2. Mutai, Emmanuel (KEN) – 2:06:28 / $135,000
3. Kebede, Tsegaye (ETH) – 2:07:13 / $110,000
4. Gebremariam, Gebre (ETH) – 2:08:00 / $75,000
5. Gharib, Jaouad (MAR) – 2:08:27 / $55,000
6. Keflezighi, Meb (CA/USA) – 2:09:13 / $40,000
7. Falil, Abdellah (MAR) – 2:10:35 / $17,000
8. Kisorio, Mathew (KEN) – 2:10:58 / $10,000
9. Sisay, Ezkyas (ETH) – 2:11:04 / $7,000
10. Moran, Ed (VA/USA) – 2:11:46 / $1,000 (Debut)
15. Curtis, Bobby ÛÓ 2:16:46 (Debut)
Top Women Finishers
1. Dado, Firehiwot (ETH) – 2:23:15 / $170,000
2. Deba, Buzunesh (ETH) – 2:23:19 / $105,000
3. Keitany, Mary (KEN) – 2:23:38 / $75,000
4. Felix, Ana Dulce (POR) – 2:25:40 / $50,000
5. Smith, Kim (NZL) – 2:25:46 / $40,000
6. Kilel, Caroline Cheptonui (KEN) – 2:25:57 / $35,000
7. Rotich, Caroline (KEN) – 2:27:06 / $17,000
8. Andersson, Isabellah (SWE) – 2:28:29 / $10,000
9. Pavey, Jo (GBR) – 2:28:42 / $7,000
10. Bogomolova, Galina (RUS) – 2:29:03 / $1,000
12. Molly Pritz, MN, 2:31:52 (Debut)
16. Lauren Fleshman, 2:37:23 (Debut)