Ferreira, Zhdanova Win Army Ten-Miler
Closest men's finish; race record 17,600 finish under unseasonably warm conditions

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By Steve Nearman, Running USA wire
Posted Sunday, 7 October, 2007

ARLINGTON, Va. - (October 7, 2007) - Maybe 2006 ING New York City Marathon victor Marilson Gomes dos Santos has started something in Brazil.

Six of his Brazilian countrymen took to the streets of the Washington area yesterday, taking the top four spots as well as sixth place at the 23rd Army Ten-Miler.

Unusually warm conditions, with temperatures in the 80s and uncomfortable humidity, took its toll on many of the race record 17,600 finishers in the nation's largest and world's second-largest 10 mile footrace.

It made for the slowest winning time since 1993, as Pvt. Jose Ferreira edged teammate Reginaldo Campos, Jr. by the closest of margins - one second - in the narrowest victory in Army history in 49 minutes, 21 seconds.

Members of the Foot Solutions Elite Running Team out of Atlanta filled in the fifth, seventh, eighth and ninth positions.

"It was a very emotional battle for me being the first time in the United States," the 31-year-old Ferreira said through an interpreter. "I know that [Campos] is better at the sprint. He usually takes off near the finish."

No such drama occurred in the women's race.

Firaya Zhdanova, a 46-year-old Russian who trains part-time in Gainesville and part-time in her homeland, forged a solid 32-second lead by six miles and just hung on through a grueling last mile to win the women's race in 58:31.

That time took a whopping 29 seconds off the masters record set last year by Washington area favorite and 2007 USA Track & Field Masters Female Athlete of the Year Alisa Harvey. In adding the Army masters record to her 2002 Boston Marathon masters record, the veteran marathoner prevented Harvey from an unprecedented fifth Army victory.

Susannah Kvasnicka of Great Falls, Va. was runner-up in 59:11.

"I wasn't thinking about anybody passing me, I was thinking about my race," said Zhdanova through her 52-year-old teammate Tatyana Pozdnyakova, adding that she bypassed other races with prize money to compete here for free for her team Foot Solutions Elite Running Team in her first 10-miler ever. "It was very hard but I was thinking about the finish line and I kept running. I was thinking about the record."

Ferreira, however, was just thinking about the win. He was always in the lead or near it, testing the other athletes as the lead pack of four formed and covered the first five miles in 24:31.

The pack - Ferreira, Campos and teammate Josueldo Nascimento and Tamrat Ayalew, an Ethiopian with Foot Solutions - traveled together around the National Mall and in front of the Capitol before returning to the Pentagon over the 14th Street Bridge. It was there after eight miles that Ayalew dropped, then Nascimento fell off after nine, leaving just Ferreira and Campos to battle for the title.

Coming down a steep ramp into the Pentagon parking lot with 400 meters to go and the crowd producing a deafening roar, the 20-year-old Campos, who trains with his idol dos Santos under their coach Adalto Domingues, dashed away. Ferreira, 11 years his elder with third-place finishes at the 2005 and 2006 Miami marathons (2:17/2:19), reeled him in with 100 meters to go and finally broke away from Campos for good with 50 meters.

"I was surprised [he came back on me]," Campos replied.

23rd Army Ten-Miler
Washington, DC, Sunday, October 7, 2007

MEN
1) Jose Ferreira (BRA), 49:21
2) Reginaldo Campos, Jr. (BRA), 49:22
3) Josueldo Nascimento (BRA), 49:40
4) Marcelo Vecchi (BRA), 49:56
5) Tamrat Ayalew (ETH), 50:12

WOMEN
1) Firaya Zhdanova, 46, RUS, 58:31
2) Susannah Kvasnicka (USA / VA), 59:11
3) Johanna Allen (USA / VA), 59:39
4) Lauren Manero (USA / VA), 1:00:15
5) Alisa Harvey, 42, USA / VA, 1:00:34

Full results at: www.ArmyTenMiler.com

Related info:
RunningUSA

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