Riley to defend Falmouth Mile Title
Posted Sunday, 27 July, 2008
Falmouth, Mass. -- Jonathon Riley, former Stanford University and Brookline High School distance star, has committed to return and run the 2008 CIGNA Falmouth Mile. on Saturday, Aug. 9 at Falmouth High School. The women's race is at 6:15 and the men at 6:30. Last year Riley broke four minutes for the first time in his career and set a meet record and a personal best of 3:57.07.
Mile director John Carroll was delighted to learn that Riley would return. "It is great to have the athletes come back and run before local fans, This completes a great field for both the men's and women's race this season."
Riley told Carroll, "I am in good shape and want to run faster than last year;" but Carroll expects he will be pressed by his Wisconsin-based training partner, Chris Solinsky, who finished second last year. In the Men's Olympic Trials 5,000 meter race, Solinsky was the leader a good part of the way before dropping off the pace. Will Leer of Eugene, Ore., and the Oregon Track Club, who just missed the U.S. Olympic Team by .54 seconds when he finished fourth in the 1,500 meters, will also push the pace. The rest of the field will include John Jefferson, also from the Oregon Track Club, who was sixth last year; Shane Stroup of Highland, Md., and Abiyot Endale from Ethopia and the Westchester Track Club, New York.
The top woman is likely to be Amy Mortimer, Providence, R.I., who was second last year. Mortimer placed fifth in the Olympic Trials 1,500 meters and has raced well in Europe the past several weeks, running 4:06 in several 1,500-meter races. Her main competition should come from Treniere Clement of Knoxville, Tenn., three-time U.S. outdoor 1,500-meter champion (2005, '06 and '07) and 2006 U.S indoor 1,500-meter champion.
MaryJayne Reeves, Newnan, Ga., the 2000 and 2003 Falmouth Mile champion, Jenelle Deatherage, St. Paul, Minn., who has run every Falmouth mile since 2002, including second in '05; Lindsey Gallo, Ann Arbor, Mich., who was sixth in the Olympic Trials 1,500 meters and placed third in Falmouth '05; and Julie Culley of Arlington, Va., seventh at the U.S. Trials 5,000 meters. Completing the field will be Rhodes scholar and 2007 World Championship 5,000 meter runner Michelle Sikes of Lakewood, Ohio.
The Falmouth High School track is at 874 Gifford Street.
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