Engines at Full Rev for 28th Utica Boilermaker
Posted Wednesday, 13 July, 2005
By Bob Fitzgerald, Editor, New England Runner
July 11, 2005
Special Coverage for The Running Network
The largest and many say the "best" 15K in the country culminated a weekend of action packed activity with the draining of 200 kegs and resting of 18,000 legs in the outdoor expanse of the historic F.X. Matt Brewery following the 28th annual Utica Boilermaker 15K on Sunday, July 10. A day after the induction of Greg Meyer, Don Kardong and Bob Schul into the National Distance Running Hall of Fame before 1,500 fans packing the Stanley Performing Arts Center, the world's current elite took to the streets of Utica vying for over $37K in prize money starting with $5K for the men's and women's winners and stretching through the top three in the 60+ division.
"This is just a fantastic weekend and I've always really liked the course," said inaugural Hall of Fame (1998) inductee Bill Rodgers, who put this event on the national map after winning the 1983 Boilermaker. "There's a lot of rolling ups and downs." Fortunately, for the near record 10,800 entrants toeing the line at 8 a.m. on race day, the forecasted humidity was largely missing albeit the race start temperature was 73 degrees under a bright, cloudless sky.
Fronting the throngs on Culver Avenue were pre-race favorite Gilbert Okari, winner of the previous week's Peachtree 10K and owner of the world's fastest 10K in 2003 (27:28) and 2004 (27:37), both run at Maine's Beach to Beacon 10K, and Sally Barsosio, the runner-up at Peachtree in 32:52. With two-time defending champions Lorna Kiplagat (not in attendance) and John Korir encountering visa problems, new champions were a guarantee.
Okari and Barsosio both backed up their pre-race hype. After a huge Kenyan men's pack passed the first mile in 4:40 and the second in 9:03, the seven up-front contenders remained status quo through 10K in 29:17. Okari provided the first surge at seven miles, opening a five yard gap on countryman Linus Maiyo and Tanzania's Fabiano Joseph, the runner-up to Okari at Peachtree by five seconds.
Unlike previous years, there would be no sprint finish as Okari dominated the field, finishing in 43:22 with his 19 year-old rival (Joseph) 17 seconds in arrears. The first American arrived in the 20th position wearing a Hanson's jersey. Michigan's Jacob Frey finished one place ahead of top master and statesmate Paul Aufdemberge.
Frey's time was 47:02 with Aufdemberge collecting $1K with a 48:00 showing. "It was a tough course with a bright sun out there," asserted Frey. "I went out slow but in the fourth mile by the golf course I ran a 4:25. The fans were awesome and you get caught up in it, when I finished I needed a little help standing."
Sally Barsosio (photo) is a hot weather runner so she welcomed the climbing mercury. The real competition came from the very formidable Romanian tandem of Nuta Olaru and Lidia Simon, After the initial challenge, however, Barsosio proved as dominant as male counterpart Okari, winning by 21 seconds in 50:11. Olaru followed in 50:32 with Simon bagging the bronze in 50:42.
Former Yale star and 2004 10,000-meter Olympian Laura O'Neill, of E. Hartford, CT, placed fifth (1st American) in 51:47. "This was so much fun," said the 23 year-old. "I'm just a year out of college so this was my first opportunity to run here. After [US Track & Field] nationals I couldn't run for a week because my calves were so tight, but I'd heard so much about this being such a great race I had to come."
"It's a great event, we do it right here," offered race founder Earle Reed, and who among the Utica faithful is going to argue. All 6,000 volunteers have their names printed in the Utica Observer-Dispatch the day before the race and on race day you'd be hard pressed to find anyone from the Utica populace who isn't in a volunteer capacity or supporting the runners as a spectator.
"I've had any number of people say the community support is a lot like the Boston Marathon," said Hanson's runner Carly Graytock - who should know after finishing as 15th woman and 3rd American at both the 2005 Boston Marathon and Utica Boilermaker.
And so, let it be written . . . Thirty thousand thirsty revelers did the Saranac shuffle past five beer stations as Nik and the Nice Guys took to the stage for a seventh straight year and Air Force F16s saluted the throngs with an out-and-back flyover following a fireworks display.
As Hall of Fame emcee Larry Rawson is wont to say, "Wow! that is something special."
Further fuel was added to Utica's front running event this year as Hall of Fame Director John Patrone and Race Director Bob Ingalls welcomed General Motors as the race's presenting sponsor. So, Ladies & Gentlemen, start your (GM) engines and mark your calendars for Utica 2006, an event that shouldn't be missed.
Top Men
1. Gilbert Okari, KEN, 43:22
2. Fabiano Joseph, TAN, 43:38
3. Nephat Kinyanjui, KEN, 43:41
4. W. Chebon Chebor, KEN, 43:49
5. Linus Maiyo, KEN, 44:00
6. Wilson Kigen, KEN, 44:21
7. Robert Cheruiot, KEN, 44:51
8. Fred Mogaka, KEN, 44:55
9. Ernest Meli Kimeli, KEN, 44:56
10. Simon Wangai, KEN, 45:27
20. Jacob Frey, MI (1st US), 47:02
21. Paul Aufdemberge, MI (1st 40+), 48:00
Top Women
1. Sally Barsosio, KEN, 50:11
2. Nuta Olaru, ROM, 50:32
3. Lidia Simon, ROM, 50:42
4. Victoria Klimina, RUS, 51:21
5. Laura O'Neill, CT (1st US), 51:47
6. Aletech Demissie, ETH, 52:09
7. F. Sultanova-Zhdanov, RUS (1st 40+), 52:18
8. Edna Kiplagat, KEN, 52:45
9. Naomi Wangui, KEN, 52:56
10. Luminita Talpos, ROM, 53:13
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