Drossin Destroys U.S. 15K Record and Four-Peats at Gate River Run
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - (March 8, 2003) - It was windy at the Gate River Run 15K today, but Deena Drossin was the one blowing things away.

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Posted Saturday, 8 March, 2003

Keflezighi Wins Third-Straight USA 15K Title
By Charlie Mahler, Running USA wire

The 30-year-old Team USA California star lopped 57 seconds off the U.S. 15K record she established here last year, and earned her fourth-straight national title at the distance (the first female or male to do so). Her time of 47:15 puts her over a minute ahead of the second-fastest American all-time, Lisa Weidenbach who clocked 48:28 in 1989. Only Elana Meyer has run faster for the distance; the South African ran 46:57 in 1991 (the world record).

Meb Keflezighi, 27, also of Team USA California, won his third-straight men's 15K title by shaking Abdi Abdirahman two-thirds of the way into the race. Keflezighi clocked 43:31 to Abdirahman's 43:59. Race temperatures were in the mid-50s and skies were cloudy, but a rude wind met the runners on the open stretches of the course.

Drossin achieved her new record with the same attacking style she used at the USA Cross Country Championships three weeks ago. The 2000 Olympian - who holds the U.S. Record for 10,000 meters on the track and the World Record for 5K on the roads - opened the race with a 5:03 mile and ran unchallenged throughout.

"That's my strongest way of running, riding on that line of complete exhaustion and comfort," the 14-time USA Champion in track, cross country and road racing explained. "It's a little faster than I thought I would run, actually, but it's nice to be able to surprise yourself like that. I guess it's what a year of hard and smart work will do."

The anticipated duel with Marla Runyan, who finished second in 48:43, never materialized as Drossin went through five miles in 25:11 and was under World Record pace until the foot of the River Run's signature feature, the high-arching Hart Bridge.

"The wind was tough," the Mammoth Lakes, Calif. resident allowed. "As if the bridge wasn't difficult enough, the wind had to come up and slap us around. It came from everywhere, it seemed to be exposed in-between buildings, it came from different directions."

Following Drossin and Runyan were Colleen De Reuck, 3rd in 49:30, Sara Wells of Team USA Minnesota, fourth in 50:07, Kim Fitchen-Young, fifth in 50:39 and Amy Rudolph of Team USA California was sixth in 50:40. Drossin earned $10,000 for her victory plus an additional $6000 for the course and U.S. records.

Drossin's 15K record suggests some tantalizing possibilities for the next race on her schedule: the World Cross Country Championships in Lausanne, Switzerland on March 29. Drossin was runner-up to marathon World Record-Holder Paula Radcliffe at World Cross in 2002, but the British star recently announced she would not defend the title in 2003 in order to focus on London.

So will Drossin win the World title?

"I'm gonna die trying," Drossin only half-joked.

"Last year I didn't have the confidence to be up in the lead at a World Championship. I was surprising myself being up there; I wasn't prepared to be in that position at all. This year I'm almost expecting it out of myself. I'm hoping that I will come out one shinier medal ahead."

Runyan, who will compete next at the Boston Marathon on April 14, was pleased with her debut performance at the distance, which ties her for fourth American all-time.

"It's my first 15K and I know it's a good time for a debut," Runyan said, "but man, you see a time like Deena ran today, that's an impressive performance. When she came out here her first time, she was running 49 minutes, so that shows there's a process and that it's not just going to come overnight. We'll see what happens, maybe I'll have a crack at a 48-low in the future."

Like Runyan's performance, Keflezighi's championship three-peat, fine as it is, was forced to fight for attention on what turned out to be Deena's day. In a fashion similar to last year, Keflezighi broke away from Abdirahman in the sixth mile of the race, opening up a five second gap at 10K - passed in 29:00 - that later grew to 11 seconds at the base of Hart Bridge, just prior to the 8 mile mark.

"I'm not fitter but I'm a lot stronger this year than last year," Keflezighi explained. "The marathon training does help. I was pushing the pace. I wanted to have a strong pace before the bridge. You try to do everything before the bridge, if you can."

2000 Olympians Keflezighi and Abdirahman had turned the men's contest into a two-man race by the first of the race's two river-crossings - using a 9:29 first two miles to separate themselves from the rest of the field. The chase pack kept itself together until the descent of Hart Bridge, though, where the places finally got sorted out.

Chad Johnson, the 2001 USA 25K Champion, finished third in 44:39, Olympian Nick Rogers was fourth in 44:39, Portland's Dave Davis was fifth in 44:45 and Clint Wells of Boulder, Colorado was sixth in 44:45.

Pondering his three straight wins in Jacksonville, Keflezighi found it hard not to compare himself with his friend and teammate, Drossin.

"At the elite level, it's my first three-peat. It's very exciting," the Eritrean-born UCLA graduate offered. "I'm trying to follow in Deena's footsteps, but she keeps raising the bar though, you know, breaking her own American record."

As part of the 2003 USA Running Circuit, a USA Track & Field road series that features USA Championships from the 5K to marathon, the top 10 at the River Run earned Circuit points (15 for first, 12 for second, 10 for third, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1). With his 8th place finish, Ryan Shay, also of Team USA California, added to his lead (33 points) and Keflezighi moved into 4th place (15 points). As the kick-off women's USARC race, Drossin holds the #1 spot.

The next Circuit race for men is the Papa John's 10 Miler on March 29 in Louisville, KY, while the women's next grand prix race is the USA Marathon Championship in St. Louis on April 5. The 2003 USARC - nine events for men and seven for women - offers over $340,000 in prize money and a $25,000 grand prix ($6000, $4000 and $2500) for the top three men and women.

26th Gate River Run 15K: USA Championship
Jacksonville, FL, Saturday, March 8, 2003

MEN
1) Meb Keflezighi, CA 43:31 $10,000
2) Abdi Abdirahman, AZ 43:59 $4,000
3) Chad Johnson, OR 44:39 $3,000
4) Nick Rogers, OR 44:39 $2,000
5) Dave Davis, OR 44:45 $1,000
6) Clint Wells , CO 44:45 $900
7) Mike Donnelly, OR 44:50 $800
8) Ryan Shay, MI 45:22 $700
9) Chris Seaton, NC 45:25 $600
10) Eddy Hellebuyck, NM 45:45 $1,500*
11) Matt Thull, WI 46:08
12) Chris Lundstrom, MN 46:12
13) Keith Dowling, VA 46:16
14) David Morris, NM 46:29
15) Henry Dennis, OH 46:39
*includes masters prize money

WOMEN
1) Deena Drossin, CA 47:15# $16,000*
2) Marla Runyan, OR 48:43 $4,000
3) Colleen De Reuck, CO 49:30 $3,000
4) Sara Wells, MN 50:07 $2,000
5) Kim Fitchen-Young, CA 50:39 $1,000
6) Amy Rudolph, RI 50:40 $900
7) Milena Glusac, CA 51:28 $800
8) Sylvia Mosqueda, CA 51:31 $700
9) Jenny Crain, OR 51:37 $600
10) Magdalena Lewy, CA 51:46 $500
11) Nicole Jefferson, CO52:27
12) Turnena Johnson Lane, GA 52:34
13) Jeanne Hennessy, NY 52:44
14) Dana Coons, VA 52:48
15) Rachel Sauder, AL 53:00
#U.S. record; previous record 48:12 by Deena Drossin at Gate River Run on
March 9, 2002; *includes $6000 bonus for course and U.S. records

For more results and information, visit the race website at:
http://www.1stplacesports.com

2003 USA Running Circuit Standings

MEN after two races
1) Ryan Shay, 23, East Jordan, MI 33
2) Kevin Collins, 31, Syracuse, NY 24
3) Clint Verran, 27, Rochester Hills, MI 20
4) Meb Keflezighi, 27, Mammoth Lakes, CA 15
5) Jeff Campbell, 31, Rochester Hills, MI 14
6) Abdi Abdirahman, 26, Tucson, AZ 12
Scott Strand, 34, Birmingham, AL 12
8) Chad Johnson, 26, Portland, OR 10
Brian Clas, 30, New York, NY 10
10) Chris Graff, 27, Palo Alto, CA 8

WOMEN after one race
1) Deena Drossin, 30, Mammoth Lakes, CA 15
2) Marla Runyan, 34, Eugene, OR 12
3) Colleen De Reuck, 38, Boulder, CO 10
4) Sara Wells, 23, Minneapolis, MN 7
5) Kim Fitchen-Young, 34, Palo Alto, CA 6
6) Amy Rudolph, 29, Providence, RI 5
7) Milena Glusac, 27, Fallbrook, CA 4
8) Sylvia Mosqueda, 36, Los Angeles, CA 3
9) Jenny Crain, 35, Eugene, OR 2
10) Magdalena Lewy, 29, Berkeley, CA 1

Upcoming USARC Races:
Papa John's 10 Miler (men), Louisville, KY $13,650 March 29
USA Men's 8K Championship, New York, NY $20,000 April 5
USA Women's Marathon Championship, St. Louis, MO$50,000 April 5

# # #

Ryan Lamppa, Running USA Media Services
USATF Road Running Information Center
5522 Camino Cerralvo
Santa Barbara, CA 93111
(805) 696-6232, fax (805) 696-6252
http://www.runningusa.org
http://www.usaldr.org

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