Kemboi & Diba Win Grandma's Marathon Titles
Posted Monday, 21 June, 2010
(Duluth, Minn.) Kenya’s Philemon Kemboi led a dominant performance by east Africans while winning the 34th running of Grandma’s Marathon.
The 36-year-old Kenyans time of 2 hours, 15 minutes and 44 seconds was enough to outlast countrymen Chris Kipyego (2:16:00) and David Rutoh (2:16:03). Kemboi earned $10,000 for the victory plus a $900 bonus for finishing in under 2:16:00.
Reuben Chesang, 47, claimed the men’s masters title (2:19:30) for the second consecutive year and in the process broke his own 45-49 age group record which he had set in 2009.
Defending champion Chris Raabe finished sixth in 2:17:43.
In the women’s division, Buzunesh Deba dominated the field with a winning time of 2:31:36, the sixth fastest in race history. Deba, 22, bettered fellow Ethiopian Yeshimebet Bifa (2:35:28) and Kenya’s Everlyne Lagat (2:37:26).
Three-time defending champion Mary Akor, of Hawthorne, Calif., failed in her attempt to become the race’s first ever four-time champion. Akor, 33, finished fourth in 2:38:02.
Deba, making her Grandma’s Marathon debut, claims the $10,000 winner’s check plus a $1,200 bonus for running sub-2:32:00.
Ramilia Burangulova, 48, placed fifth in 2:40:08 to earn the women’s masters crown.
Saul Mendoza won his sixth Grandma’s Marathon men’s wheelchair division title with a time of 1:36:55. Dawna Callahan claimed the female wheelchair division in 2:30:12.
The 2010 Grandma’s Marathon had 7,387 registrants and of those, 5,786 runners started the race and 5,631 finished. The annual Two Harbors-to-Duluth 26.2-mile race had entrants from 41 countries and all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
In the 20th anniversary running of the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon, Kenya’s Stephen Muange ran the second fastest time in race history. His 1:04:24 was just five seconds shy of Ryan Meissen’s 2002 course record of 1:04:19.
Kenyan Caroline Rotich claimed the women’s title in 1:12:40, tied for sixth fastest all-time.
A record number of 6,876 people registered for the 2010 Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon with 5,900 runners starting the race and 5,854 finishing.
For complete results, log on to www.GrandmasMarathon.com. All results are unofficial.
Grandma's Marathon weekend was presented by Target, Toyota and Wells Fargo Bank Duluth. The 35th running of Grandma's Marathon is Saturday, June 18, 2011.
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