Course Record Holders Gilbert Okari and Lorna Kiplagat Victorious
Okari Defends Title
Kiplagat Wins Her Fourth Falmouth

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Posted Sunday, 14 August, 2005

FALMOUTH, Mass. Defending champion Gilbert Okari of Kenya breezed to the finish line ahead of the field at the SBLI Falmouth Road Race. The 27-year old Kenyan clocked in at 31 minutes and 59 seconds, which is 51 seconds off his course record 31:08 set last year on the 7-mile course from Woods Hole to Falmouth Heights. Kenyan men took the first four places with recently naturalized citizen, Mbarak Hussein claiming first place American prize money and eighth place overall in 33:22. On the women's side, Kenyan native and Dutch citizen Lornah Kiplagat cruised to her fourth Falmouth win in 36:09. Last year's winner, Russian Alevtina Ivanova, finished second with American Deena Kastor following in third.

At the sound of the starting gun 9.500 runners were sent on their way battling the oppressive humidity but aided by cloud cover and temperatures hovering around 80 degrees. In addition to the press truck and numerous official motorcycles, two pace cars joined the parade, a convertible carrying face founder, Tommy Leonard and a roadster shuttling Robert Sheridan, CEO of 5-year race sponsor SBLI to the finish line.

In the Men's Division, Okari sprinted to the front leading a pack of 12 runners through the first mile at Nobska Light in 4:32. Others leading the charge were fellow countrymen Wilson Kiprotich and Meshack Sang as well as Eithopian Mohamed Awol. Okari's steady pace led a thinning pack of eight runners through the wooded portion of the course passing mile two in 9:05 for a 4:33 split. Between miles two and three, three-time Falmouth champion, John Korir pushed the pace. Okari continued to pick up the pace leading the pack of five past mile three in 13:30 for a 4:25 split. Along ocean front Surf Drive Okari ran in clockwork fashion slowly but surely extending his lead and recording 17:54 at four miles. The oppressively humid conditions forced the leaders to take water at every aid station along the course. This did not slow Okari who clocked 22:24 at five miles and 28:08 for10K on his way to the win. Kiprotich finished second in 32:15, Korir followed in 32:35 for his second consecutive third-place finish.

On the women's side, Kiplagat blasted from the start line and never looked back. She posted a searing 4:49 first mile leaving defending champion Alevtina Ivanova of Russia and Deena Kastor of Mammoth Lakes, Calif. to battle for second place. On her solo journey, Kiplagat sailed past mile three in 14:55, mile four in 19:56 and mile five in 25:09. After Kiplagat finally left them at two miles, Ivanova and Kastor battled for nearly three miles with dueling surges. At mile five, Ivanova sized up Kastor and decided to make a final prolonged surge, dropping Kastor. Ivanova finished in 36:28, 15 seconds off her 2004 winning time of 36:13. Kastor finished third overall and first American woman in 36:48. With her Falmouth win, Kiplagat is a perfect 10 wins in 10 races in 2005.

Tony Nogueria, age 37, of Glen Ridge, N.J. extended his Falmouth winning streak to four with his win in the Wheelchair Division in 26:01, bettering his 2004 time by 12 seconds in spite of the humidity. Nogueria noted that his course duel with second-place finisher Patrick Doak, age 37, of Concord, Mass. who finished in 26:22 contributed to his swift performance. Gary Brendel, age 46, of Sterling, Mass. followed in 26:50. Last year's winner, April Coughlin, age 26, of New Paltz, N.Y. finished her solo Women's Wheelchair performance in 35:10 bettering her 2004 time by one minute and 33 seconds.

Eighth place finisher Hussein, age 40, finished in 33:22 with a double win, first Master's Male and first American. Rounding out the American Men's Division were Ryan Shay, age 29, from East Jordan, Mich. who finished in 33:26 followed by Clint Wells, age 25, from Superior, Colo. clocking 33:50. In the Master's Men's division, 41 year-old Canadian Steve Boyd finished second in 35:12 with former New Englander, Dennis Simonaitis, age 43, finishing in 35:20.

The ageless 41 year-old Colleen DeReuck scored a trifecta with her first place finish in the Master's Women's Division, second place finisher in the American Women's Division and seventh place overall in 37:50. She adds this to her 1993 and 1997 Falmouth wins. Russian Tatyana Pozdnyakova, age 50, placed second in the Master's Division in 40:10 followed by six-time Falmouth winner Joan Beniot Samuelson, age 48, of Freeport, Me. in 40:54.

Women's Results:

Place Name Age Time Prize Money

1 Lornah Kiplagat 31 Netherlands 36:09 O $11000
2 Alevtina Ivanona 30 Russia 36:28 O $6000
3 Deena Kastor 32 Mammoth Lakes, CA 36:48 OA $8250
4 Olga Romanova 25 Russia 37:26 O $2250
5 Miho Ichikawa 32 Japan 37:30 O $1250
6 Luminita Talpos 32 Romania 37:30 O $1000
7 Colleen De Reuck 41 Boulder, CO 37:50 OMA $7300
8 Laura O'Neill 25 New Haven, CT 38:02 OA $3100
9 Bruna Genovese 28 Italy 38:03 O $500
10 Sylvia Mosqueda 39 Los Angeles, CA 38:09 OA $2450
11 Teresa Wanjika 31 Kenya 38:40 O $400
12 Dana Coons 26 Burnsville , MN 39:14 OA $1850
13 Amy Yoder-Begley 27 Albuquerque, NM 39:21 OA $1300
14 Katsuko Kanno 25 Japan 39:34 O $250
15 Gladys Asiba 28 Kenya 39:48 O $200
16 Tina Connelly 34 Port Coquitlam BC 39:50
17 Carrie Tollefson 28 St. Paul, MN 39:55 A $700
18 Tatyana Pozdnyakova 50 Russia 40:10 M $2000
19 Sara Wells 26 Burnsville, MN 40:25 A $500
20 Zivile Balciunaite 26 Lithuania 40:33
21 Joan Samuelson 48 Freeport, ME 40:54 MA $1400
22 Mimi Fallon 40 Walpole, MA 42:03 MA $800
23 Shannon Hovey 34 Simsbury, CT 42:47
24 Kara Haas 34 Chelmsford ,MA 43:05
25 Tatiana Titova 40 Russia 43:46 M $250
26 Laura Hayden 25 Allston, MA 44:19
27 Maegan Chaggaris 30 Malden, MA 44:27
28 Ginger Ellsworth 28 Dover , MA 44:35
29 Sarah Nixon 41 Medfield, MA 45:09
30 Marge Bellisle 50 Warren, RI 46:03
31 Jessica Blake 27 Boston, MA 46:29
32 Lauren Philbrook 18 Hopkinton, MA 46:35
33 Holly Madden 39 Scituate, MA 46:46
34 Stephanie Hodge 40 Long Island City, NY 46:48
35 Sharon Vos 50 Riverside, CT 47:03
36 Eileen Cakouros 37 Milton, MA 47:04
37 Jennifer Bogan 38 Swansea, MA 47:08
38 Kerry Shanley 19 Marshfield , MA 47:14
39 Alexandra Smrcina 17 North Falmouth, MA 47:29
40 Katie Famous 25 Cambridge, MA 47:32
41 Lynne Schuler 42 Charlestown, MA 47:54
42 Kathleen Lovel l 28 North Falmouth, MA 48:08
43 Megan Ruane 21 Annandale, NJ 48:14
44 Jess Barton 16 Newton, MA 48:29
45 Colleen Wetherbee 16 West Yarmouth, MA 48:30
46 Jane Cooper 37 Boston, MA 48:41
47 Michelle Lang 27 Brighton, MA 48:42
48 Kari Gathen 36 Albany, NY 48:43
49 Susan Abramczyk 21 Lancaster, PA 48:53
50 Kelly Bradbury 38 Newburyport, MA 48:53

Men's Results

Place Name Age Time Prize money
1 Gilbert Okari 27 Kenya 31:59 O $11000
2 Wilson Kiprotich 25 Kenya 32:15 O $6000
3 John Korir 29 Kenya 32:35 O $2750
4 Meshack Sang 25 Kenya 32:44 O $2250
5 Jon Brown 34 England 32:48 O $1250
6 William Chebon Chebor 22 Kenya 32:51 O $1000
7 James Koskei 36 Kenya 33:17 O $800
8 Mbarak Hussein 40 Albuquerque, NM 33:22 OMA $9100
9 Luke Kipkosgei 29 Kenya 33:26 O $500
10 Ryan Shay 26 East Jordan, MI 33:26 OA $3950
11 Ernest Meli Kimeli 19 Kenya 33:33 O $400
12 Linus Maiyo 22 Kenya 33:38 O $350
13 Clint Wells 30 Superior, CO 33:50 OA $2800
14 Wilson Komen 27 Kenya 34:00 O $250
15 Jason Hartman 24 Boulder, CO 34:04 OA $2200
16 John Itati 31 Kenya 34:16
17 Matt Downin 28 Norwood, NJ 34:20 A $1500
18 Peter Julian 34 Boulder CO 34:22 A $1000
19 Eddie Ernest-Jones 28 England 34:49
20 Roland Lavallee 27 Bellingham , MA 34:52 A $700
21 Mohamed Awol 27 Ethiopia 34:54
22 Luke Watson 24 Minneapoli, MN 35:02 A $500
23 Chris Lundstrom 29 Minneapolis, MN 35:08 A $400
24 Steve Boyd 41 Canada 35:12 M $2000
25 Greg Bennett 33 Australia 35:14
26 Robert Wong 23 Boston, MA 35:18 A $300
27 Dennis Simonaitis 43 Draper, UT 35:20 M $1000
28 Chris Graff 29 Arlington, VA 35:48
29 Andrew Begley 29 Albuquerque, NM 35:52
30 Salvatore Bettiol 43 Italy 36:40 M $500
31 Gene Mitchell 37 Ardmore, PA 37:04
32 Jason Cakouros 40 Milton, MA 37:11 M $250
33 Shad Miller 27 Somerville ,MA 37:29
34 Wayne Levy 40 Newton MA 37:45
35 Ian Nurse 27 Cambridge MA 37:49
36 Thomas Dion 36 Newburyport, MA 37:59
37 Brendan Minihan 32 New Orleans, LA 38:00
38 Joe Shairs 37 Peabody, MA 38:14
39 Oscar Gonzalez 41 New Haven,CT 38:36
40 Gary Romesser 54 Indianapolis IN 38:38
41 Joel Anderson 22 Brunswick, ME 38:42
42 Joseph Navas 34 North Eastham, MA 38:59
43 Jeff Day 34 Berea , OH 39:11
44 Brian Holmquest 19 Marshfield ,MA 39:17
45 Scott Gall 31 Cedar Falls, IA 39:17
46 Teddy Fitzpatrick 32 Allston, MA 39:20
47 Kit Wells 29 Brookline, MA 39:22
48 Geof Newton 38 Brewster, MA 39:28
49 Chris Ellis-Ferrara 19 Concord, MA 39:29
50 Seaghan McKay 33 Arlington, MA 39:30

For further information contact Rich Sherman (508) 540-7000
or (508) 737-7872; e-mail: FalmouthRR@aol.com
www.FalmouthRoadRace.com

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