Johnson Defends Freihofer's Run for Women 5K Title
Lucy Smith claims Masters crown in 16:32; field of 3,123 at 29th edition

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Posted Sunday, 3 June, 2007

From Edward Parham

ALBANY, N.Y. - (June 2, 2007) - After 29 years of top class competitions, you might think that there are few stories left to tell at the Freihofer's Run for Women 5K, held each year on the streets of Albany. But this year's race on Saturday featured a nail-biting match-up between the defending champion Benita Johnson from Australia and 2005 winner and course record holder (15:18) Asmae Leghzaoui from Morocco that will long be remembered as a highlight in the Run for Women's history.

The competition was made especially intriguing by the fact that neither woman had shown much in the way of recent world class form. In April's Flora London Marathon, Johnson had cramped up and placed a disappointing 7th, while Leghzaoui, by her own admission, had run no significant races thus far in 2007.

Smarter money, it appeared, would be placed on Ethiopia's Amane Gobena who was second at the Memorial Day Bolder Boulder 10K in Colorado. Or on Teyba Erkesso, also from Ethiopia, who had placed 4th in that same race, and who had set a women-only orld record of 51:44 for 10 miles earlier in the year. Ultimately that smart money would have turned out to be not so, as neither Gobena nor Erkesso - nor any of the other top class competitors in this field - could trade strides with Johnson and Leghzaoui once the real racing got under way.

They did give it a shot, though. Once the gun fired to send 3,123 women on their way, a knot of world class road racers maneuvered their way to the forefront, led by 25-year-old Rose Kosgei from Kenya. Forging a testing early pace, Kosgei, the 1997 World Junior Cross Country champion, brought with her half a dozen runners, comprising Mara Yamauchi (GBR), Emily Chebet (KEN), Gobena and Erkesse, plus Leghzaoui and Johnson. At one mile, the split read 5:00, evidence that this was going to be a race hard fought to the finish.

Kosgei held the lead, but not for long. Deciding that the rolling hills of Washington Park would be an effective place to inflict some damage, Leghzaoui surged to the forefront shortly after the first mile and began to open daylight. Kosgei immediately lost ground, as did Chebet, Gobena and Erkesse. Johnson, however, smartly covered the move and closed down the gap just as relentlessly as the Moroccan had opened it. At 3K, they were side-by-side, and at two miles (10:04) it was evident that this year's Freihofer's finish was going to be a thriller in the finest tradition of this race.

The foremost question at that point was: Had Leghzaoui exerted too much energy in the early going? As the two leaders exited Washington Park, swinging left onto Madison Avenue for the long drive to the finish line - and momentarily bumping shoulders - it quickly became clear that the answer was "yes".

The course record holder fought hard, but Johnson's strength was undeniable. The Australian woman did not inject a startling kick, but rather, she increased the tempo, imperceptibly to those on the sidelines, but brutally and efficiently. In the closing 400m, Johnson opened a stunning 10 seconds on Leghzaoui. The winner crossed the finish line in a time of 15 minutes, 22 seconds - five seconds faster than her winning time here last year, and the third fastest winning time in Freihofer's history. For the victory, Johnson, 28, earned $10,000.

"I only felt that I was going to win with about 800m to go," explained the re-crowned champion. "I made a surge on Leghzaoui and opened a gap. When I saw that, I went harder again. The pace was fast from the gun, but I had to be up there if I was going to have a chance of winning. I wanted to win this race to kick start my campaign for the World Championships."

Johnson will be contesting the 10,000m at the World Track and Field Championships, which take place in Osaka, Japan in late August.

For her part, Leghzaoui was satisfied with her second place finish, for which she earned $5000. Following her Freihofer's win in 2005, the Moroccan had returned in 2006, but placed just 11th. "This weather is very different from home," she proffered of the temperature, which approached the 80s by the time the race finished. "Here it is hot and very humid. I am happy. This is my first big race of the year."

Leghzaoui will have a chance to avenge her defeat. She, too, will be contesting the World Championships 10,000m.

The masters race for women over 40 was almost as hotly contested as the Open division. The victory and the $750 prize went to Canadian pro triathlete, Lucy Smith, who covered the distance in 16:32, beating Russia's Firaya Sultanova-Zhdanova by 11 seconds. "This is my first time at Freihofer's," Smith said. "I thought I could have run maybe 16:10, but I'm very happy with this."

Also happy was Freihofer's Run for Women Event Director George Regan. "Without exaggeration, this is one of the best races we've had in our 29 years," he said. "Well over 3000 starters, a super-fast finish and a magnificent event from start to finish. This was a great day for the Freihofer's Run for Women and a great day for Albany."

29th Freihofer's Run for Women 5K
Albany, NY, Saturday, June 2, 2007

OPEN*
1) Benita Johnson (AUS), 15:22, $10,000
2) Asmae Leghzaoui (MAR), 15:32, $5000
3) Teyba Erkesso (ETH), 15:46, $3000
4) Dire Tune (ETH), 15:51, $2000
5) Mara Yamauchi (GBR), 15:52, $1000
6) Emily Chebet (KEN), 15:59, $750
7) Amane Gobena (ETH), 16:04, $500
8) Silvia Skvortsova (RUS), 16:10, $300
9) Emily McCabe (USA / NC), 16:12, $250
10) Nataliya Berkut (UKR), 16:28, $200

MASTERS (40 and older)
1) Lucy Smith, 40, CAN, 16:32, $750
2) Firaya Sultanova-Zhdanova, 46, RUS, 16:43, $500
3) Patty Murray, 41, USA / CO, 17:03, $350
4) Carmen Troncoso, 48, USA / TX, 18:00, $200
5) Beth Ellickson, 40, USA / AZ, 18:14, $100
*Unofficial results pending drug testing

More results at: www.FreihofersRun.com

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