Awol Wins SunTrust Richmond Marathon in Photo Finish
Richmonders Smith, Ackerly One-two in Women’s; Koborsi and Chepkorir Win NTELOS 8K

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By Mike McCormick
Posted Saturday, 10 November, 2007

Richmond, VA—With a lunge at the tape, Mohamed Awol, an Ethiopian living in New York City, won the SunTrust Richmond Marathon here today in the most sensational finish in this event’s 30-year history.

“It took the most concentration of any marathon I’ve run,” said Awol, 29, who finished the 26.2-mile race in 2:20:20, one-tenth of a second ahead of David Cheromei, 28, a Kenyan, living in Lynchburg, VA.

On a cool breezy day with temperatures in the ‘40s, Awol and Chermoei broke away from the lead pack and ran side by side for the last several miles, but it was Awol who claimed the $2,500 check for first place. Wesley Chelule, 33, a Kenyan, living in Mobile, Alabama, was third at 22:22:55.

In the women’s race, Richmond’s 28-year-old rising star Casey Smith beat last year’s SunTrust Richmond Marathon winner Maureen Ackerly by almost four minutes, finishing in 2:44:57. “I’m ecstatic,” said Smith, who qualified for berth in the United Stated Women’s Olympic Marathon Team Trials in Boston in April. “I’ve been working so hard for this, and I had some injuries, but I never gave up. The whole Richmond running community has been so supportive – the RVA Runners, the Richmond Road Runners Club – so many people have all been so great.”

Ackerly, 38, a Richmond lawyer and mother of two, ran her personal best but fell just short of her goal to qualify for the Olympic trials in front of her hometown crowd. She finished in 2:48:37, a personal best, but just shy of the 2:47 qualifying time. “There was a great group of girls out there,” said Ackerly, who warmly congratulated Smith at the race’s conclusion. “It was a great race to be in. I’m not as disappointed as I thought I’d be.”

“She’ll have another chance to try for it,” said Ben Ackerly, her husband and coach. “She has until March to qualify, so she still has time.”

Elena Paramonova, a Russian living in Florida, was third in 2:51:10.

Both the men’s elite and the women’s elite results provided exciting conclusions to the celebrations that marked the SunTrust Richmond Marathon’s 30th anniversary. Several runners known as the “Old Lions” were feted for their participation in each of the 30 Richmond Marathons. Wertenbaker Turner, 60, of Charlottesville, VA; Garland Carlton, Jr., 66, of Midlothian, VA; John Deeter, 64, of Richmond; John Loughran, 62, of Sandston, VA; and Philip Gibrall, 57, of Richmond were given a special start and media attention and crowd recognition at the finish to commemorate their accomplishment.

And in addition to the athletic drama of its 30th anniversary, the SunTrust Richmond Marathon smashed registration records were smashed for both the marathon and the NTELOS 8k with 5,109 entries in the marathon and 6,006 entries in the 8k. The Richmond Times-Dispatch Kids Run drew 627 entries. And next year’s addition of a half marathon as part of the event promises even larger numbers.

In the NTELOS 8k men’s race, Rod Koborsi, 24, of Boston, MA, was first (22:40) ahead of Abiyot Endane, 21, an Ethiopian friend of Awol’s who also lives in New York, (22:49). Samuel Kosgei, 21, a Kenyan living in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, was third (22:55).

Caroline Chepkorir, 20, a Kenyan living in Boyersford, PA, was first (26:20) in the NTELOS 8k women’s race. Julie Culley, 26, of Arlington, VA, came in second, (26:53) and Maria Busienel, 22, a Kenyan living in Charleston, WV, took third place (27:29).

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