Sell Shatters ING Miami Half Marathon Course Record, Women's Champion Fernandez Does Too
Garcia, Liljeblad win marathon; largest field in race history; 3,000 children complete their marathon

E-mail this page  Printer-friendly page

Posted Monday, 28 January, 2008

From Danny Elfenbein

MIAMI - (January 27, 2008) - Cool morning breezes and thousands of spectators ushered in the momentous start of the 2008 ING Miami Marathon and Half Marathon® at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami on Sunday morning. The field, which included 2008 U.S. Olympic marathoner Brian Sell and teammates from the Hansons-Brooks Distance Project, was the largest in the history of the race with 10,452 athletes making it to the start. After the half-marathoners finished their race, thousands of children lined up for the Final Mile of their marathon, running the last leg of their 15-week marathon with Olympian Gigi Fernandez through the ING Run for Something Better youth program.

PR Racing Miami, organizers of the event, expected a fast half-marathon with 62 degrees start temperature and an overcast day. Sell, 29, from Rochester Hills, Mich., qualified for the Olympic team in November and used the Miami race to begin training for the Summer Games in Beijing.

The finish line area, adorned in the race's signature orange, also featured red, white and blue as Sell crossed the finish line in 1 hour, 3 minutes and 46 seconds. As expected, the three-time USA road champion shattered the course record of 1:07:11 set by 2007 champion Jared Nyamboki. Nyamboki, who led the 2007 Boston Marathon for 17 miles, pulled out with an injury early. However, five other men in the field beat the previous record, including four other members of the Sell's team. Joseph Sitienei, a Kenyan running out of Atlanta, took second place in 1:05:14, edging out Hansons-Brooks runner Mike Morgan, also of Rochester Hills, by two seconds. Other runners who beat the record included Hansons teammates Todd Snyder, Mike Reneau and Luke Humphrey.

The women's half-marathon included several Open runners with fast times. The winner, Yolanda Fernandez of Colombia, beat a four-year-old course record by more than one minute with a time of 1:16:01. Kathleen Jobes of Bethlehem, Pa., who entered as one of the few elites, took second in 1:18:05. Behind her, another Open runner, Carmen Martinez of Puerto Rico, ran one of the five fastest times in race history, finishing in 1:18:40.

For the marathon, another Olympian took home the title in what was a competitive race until the last mile and a half. Jose Garcia, who will represent Guatemala in Beijing, beat out the field with a strong push at the end of his race. Garcia, who finished in 2:17:43, was followed by a late entrant, Samuel Kiprotich, who pushed him to the end. Kiprotich, from Kenya but living in Mexico, finished in 2:18:14 and was almost caught at the end by Ethiopian Demesse Tefera who ran a 2:18:29.

Kelly Liljeblad, a top U.S. runner and triathlete from Boulder Colo., trailed runner-up Nadezhda Tuptova of Russia through mile 16 until Liljeblad took the lead and ran unchallenged to the tape in 2:47:13, beating Tuptova who finished in 2:48:09. Carol Rowe of Richmond, Utah took third (2:50:08).

After the winners came through, the crowd gathered for what was the most exciting and emotional portion of the race. With thousands of runners and spectators at the finish line, more than 3,000 children ran on the course to take part in the ING Run for Something Better Final Mile, one of the largest children's races in the United States. The 15-week program is implemented in Miami-Dade County Schools, promoting physical fitness and goal-setting to children to help prevent childhood obesity and foster confidence.

Gigi Fernandez and 1972 Olympic gold medalist Frank Shorter as well as local figures joined the children as they completed their marathon on race morning. As the children crossed the finish, cheering fans and the top runners from the day's events, including Sell and his teammates, welcomed them. The program, which is funded by ING and the Fit Miami Foundation, has garnered national acclaim and served as a model for similar programs in major school districts nationwide, including Atlanta and San Francisco.

Registration for the 2009 ING Miami Marathon and Half Marathon® opens on Tuesday, January 29 at 6:00am EST. Participants can register for as low as 50% off for each race. Organizers, which US Road Sports & Entertainment Group recently acquired, expect the event to grow to more than 15,000 runners under new ownership. The 2009 race is scheduled for January 25. For more information, call (305) 278-8668 or visit: INGMiamiMarathon.com

6th ING Miami Marathon
Miami, FL, Sunday, January 27, 2008

MEN
1) Jose Garcia (GUA), 2:17:43, $5000
2) Samuel Kiprotich (KEN), 2:18:14, $2500
3) Demesse Tefera (ETH), 2:18:29, $1000
4) Alfredo Reyes (GUA), 2:19:23
5) Tamrat Ayalew (ETH), 2:20:10

WOMEN
1) Kelly Liljeblad (USA / CO), 2:47:13, $5000
2) Nadezhda Tuptova (RUS), 2:48:09, $2500
3) Carol Rowe (USA / UT), 2:50:08, $1000
4) Ruby Riativa Salina (COL), 2:53:17
5) Julia Stamps Mallon (USA / NY), 2:55:06

Half-Marathon
MEN
1) Brian Sell (USA / MI), 1:03:46*, $1000
2) Joseph Sitienei (KEN), 1:05:14
3) Mike Morgan (USA / MI), 1:05:16
4) Todd Snyder (USA / MI), 1:05:55
5) Mike Reneau (USA / MI), 1:06:02
*course record (previous record, 1:07:11, Jared Nyamboki (KEN), 2007)

WOMEN
1) Yolanda Fernandez (COL), 1:16:01*, $1000
2) Kathleen Jobes (USA / PA), 1:18:05
3) Carmen Martinez (PUR), 1:18:40
4) Sarah Haskins (USA / CO), 1:19:04
5) Alicia Gabriela Cevallos (ECU), 1:19:57
*course record (previous record, 1:17:44, Deirdre Brill (USA / PA), 2004)

Complete results at: www.INGMiamiMarathon.com

 E-mail this page
 Printer-friendly page