Kitwara, Chepkurui Win AJC Peachtree Road Race, PRRO Bonus
Abdirahman three-peats as USA 10K champion; more than 50,000 timed finishers at annual 4th of July 10K

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By Tracy Lott, ATC
Posted Monday, 6 July, 2009

ATLANTA - (July 4, 2009) - The professional fields at the AJC Peachtree Road Race did not disappoint as Kenyans Sammy Kitwara and Lineth Chepkurui both took home victories at the 40th running of the 4th of July 10K event on Saturday with finish times of 27:22 and 31:31, respectively. In addition to taking home the top prize at Peachtree, both Kitwara and Chepkurui were eligible for the Professional Road Racing Organization's (PRRO) championship bonus and will split the $35,000 prize bringing each of their total Peachtree earnings to $32,500.

"With unusually cooler temperatures at the start and low humidity, we knew that we would be in for some great races in both the men's and women's fields," stated Tracey Russell, Executive Director of the Atlanta Track Club. "The best of the best definitely came out for the 40th running of the AJC Peachtree Road Race."

Kitwara, 22, who led most of the race, ran a personal best for the 6.2 mile road distance and overwhelmed the field as Ridouane Harroufi of Morocco and Gashu Ibrahim Jeilan of Ethiopia were 40 seconds back in second and third, respectively. Kitwara recently tied the 12K world record at Bay to Breakers and claimed a 10,000 meter victory at the Kenyan Championships (27:44.46) which was the fastest 10,000 ever run on Kenyan soil. When asked about his Peachtree and PRRO championship wins, he simply stated, "I came here to win." The next stop for Kitwara will be the IAAF Track & Field World Championships in Berlin, Germany this August.

Three-time Olympian Abdi Abdirahman of Tucson, Ariz. was the first American to cross the finish line in 28:11, clinching his third straight USA Men's 10K title. Abdirahman, who has been battling an IT band injury most of the year, stated, "My goal was to win the [national] title and to do the best in the race that I could." Abdirahman placed sixth overall in the men's field.

On the women's side, the 2009 event proved to have one of the deepest Peachtree women's fields in recent history with Kenyans and Ethiopians dominating the top 10. The lead pack of runners stayed around five deep almost to the finish when Chepkurui, 21, edged out runner-up Meseret Mengsitu of Ethiopia (31:32) and Alice Timbilili of Kenya (31:33). "I wasn't here last year because I was injured," commented Chepkurui. "I'm very delighted about this win."

In the Masters races (40 and older), Yevgeny Sirotin of the Ukraine, 40, beat out Houston resident Sean Wade for the men's title with a time of 30:57, and four-time Olympian and current USA Masters Half-Marathon champion Colleen De Reuck, 45, won the women's crown in 34:27.

With more than 50,000 timed finishers at the 2009 event, the AJC Peachtree Road Race will be one of the largest fully timed road races in the world this year.

40th Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race 10K: USA Men's Championship
Atlanta, GA, Saturday, July 4, 2009

MEN
1) Sammy Kitwara (KEN), 27:22, $15,000#
2) Ridouane Harroufi (MAR), 28:02, $7500
3) Gashu Ibrahim Jeilan (ETH), 28:02, $3000
4) Boaz Cheboiywo (KEN), 28:05, $2500
5) Tesfaye Bekele (ETH), 28:08, $2000
6) Abdi Abdirahman (USA / AZ), 28:11, $11,500 (national champion)
7) Robert Letting (KEN), 28:14, $1000
8) Anthony Famiglietti (USA / TN), 28:15, $6800
9) James Carney (USA / CO), 28:19, $4700
10) Daniel Kipkoech (KEN), 28:38, $600
11) Ian Burrell (USA / AZ), 28:42, $3500
12) Ernest Kebenei (KEN), 28:42, $400
13) Stephen Chemlany (KEN), 28:43, $300
14) Patrick Smyth (USA / UT), 28:49, $1750
15) Ed Moran (USA / VA), 28:50, $1200
Other U.S.
16) Andrew Carlson (USA / AZ), 28:53, $900
18) Forest Braden (USA / WA), 29:04, $800
19) Jason Hartmann (USA / CO), 29:04, $700
20) Stephen Furst (USA / NC), 29:05, $600
21) Antonio Vega (USA / MN), 29:05, $500
22) Justin Young (USA / CO), 29:08, $400
23) Girma Mecheso** (USA / GA), 29:27
24) Jeremy Criscione** (USA / FL), 29:29
25) Josh Moen (USA / MN), 29:30, $300
26) Tommy Neal (USA / CO), 29:33, $200
27) Edwardo Torres (USA / CO), 29:39, $100
#also split $35,000 PRRO bonus with Lineth Chepkurui ($17,500)
**ineligible due to NCAA eligibility
NOTE: Tadese Tola (ETH) who ran 28:05 was disqualified for unsportsmanlike conduct (Boaz Cheboiywo filed a protest after being elbowed by Tola in the final 30 meters of the race).

MASTERS Men (40+)
1) Yevgeny Sirotin, 40, UKR, 30:57, $1500
2) Sean Wade, 43, USA / TX, 31:05, $1000
3) Paul Aufdemberge, 44, USA / MI, 31:15, $500
4) Paul Mwangi, 42, KEN, 31:46, $300
5) John Reich, 40, USA / AZ, 32:30, $200

WOMEN
1) Lineth Chepkurui (KEN), 31:31, $15,000#
2) Meseret Mengsitu (ETH), 31:32, $7500
3) Alice Timbilili (KEN), 31:33, $3000
4) Abebu Gelan (ETH), 31:45, $2500
5) Amane Gobena (ETH), 31:52, $2000
6) Irene Limika (KEN), 32:11, $1500
7) Edna Kiplagat (KEN), 32:18, $1000
8) Belianesh Gebre (ETH), 32:36, $800
9) Nadia Ejjafini (BRN), 32:43, $700
10) Neriah Asiba (KEN), 32:51, $600
11) Hyvon Ngetich (KEN), 33:01, $500
12) Hirut Mandefro (ETH), 33:06, $400
13) Ilsa Paulson (USA / OR), 33:09, $1300
14) Sally Meyerhoff (USA / AZ), 33:11, $750
15) Allison Grace (USA / NC), 33:12, $500
#also split $35,000 PRRO bonus with Sammy Kitwara ($17,500)

MASTERS Women (40+)
1) Colleen De Reuck, 45, USA / CO, 34:27, $1500
2) Albina Gallyamova, 45, RUS, 35:43, $1000
3) Tatiana Titova, 43, RUS, 35:59, $500
4) Trina Painter, 43, USA / AZ, 36:12, $300
5) Michelle Simonaitis, 43, USA / UT, 36:50, $200

Complete results at: www.AtlantaTrackClub.org

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