Photo Finish Decides "Texas Showdown" for First Time Half-Marathoners
Rock 'n' Roll Marathon series heads to the Las Vegas Strip in December

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By Dan Cruz, Competitor Group
Posted Thursday, 19 November, 2009

From Ryan Lamppa, Running USA

SAN ANTONIO - (November 15, 2009) - A Texas-sized field of half-marathon runners took to San Antonio's streets for the second Rock 'n' Roll San Antonio Marathon & ½ Marathon on Sunday. Leading the 20,020 half-marathon finishers were two Texans who arrived at the finish line less than one second apart in the "Texas Showdown".

After racing the entire 13.1 mile distance stride-for-stride, Westly Keating, a University of Texas Pan American graduate out of Pharr, Texas edged out Texas A&M Corpus Christi grad Shadrack Songok of Kenya (left, PhotoRun) by less than a full body width at the Alamodome finish line. Both runners, making their half-marathon debuts, finished with identical times of 1 hour, 5 minutes, 24 seconds (road race times are converted to the next full second).

"It feels good," said Keating, after his first road racing and "Texas Showdown" victory. "But given the conditions, I was a little concerned with the marathoners having to follow. I thought he (Songok) had better leg speed, so I tried to push the pace early."

Currently a high school Chemistry teacher, Keating, 27, was a five-time collegiate all-American at Texas Pan-American. He and Songok broke away from the other half-marathon runners after mile two, setting the pace for the lead marathon pack over the first 10 miles. Both runners are veterans on the track over 10,000 meters, each having run sub-28:25 in college.

California resident and pre-race favorite Josh Cox, 34, finished third in 1:06:44. Cox, who set the U.S. record over 50 kilometers at the P.F. Chang's Rock 'n' Roll Arizona in January, was using the Rock 'n' Roll San Antonio ½ Marathon as his final tune-up for the California International Marathon in Sacramento on December 6.

"I'm not a great runner in the humidity," Cox told the San Antonio Express-News after the race. "But everyone has to run in it. I came here for a good work out and I definitely got one."

Houston's Mary Davies, 27, won the women's half-marathon in 1:18:16. Defending "Texas Showdown" champion Melisa Christian of Dallas finished second in 1:18:31, while Allison Macsas of Austin rounded out the top three in the half-marathon with a time of 1:18:58.

"It was a little humid," said Davies, who is originally from New Zealand but now lives and trains in Houston. "Some of the marathoners who train in Seattle or up north said it was a lot harder."

San Antonio resident Daniel Jess won the "Texas Showdown" for the marathon in a time of 2:36.58. Jess, 28, who finished fourth at the Rock 'n' Roll Chicago Half Marathon in August, was well off his pre-race goal of breaking 2:25, but did manage to finish after dropping out of the October Bank of America Chicago Marathon at 18 miles in near-freezing temperatures reminiscent of inaugural Rock 'n' Roll San Antonio in 2008.

"The conditions out there were tough," he said, not knowing for sure if he was the first Texan to cross the finish line. "Nobody passed me over the last half of the race - I just tried to run my pace. It was a great event; I'm looking forward to improving my time at my next marathon."

Jess, who took home $2000 for the "Texas Showdown' along with $500 as the top finisher from Bexar County and $200 fifth U.S., won the race on his mother's birthday and his wife Lindsay is expecting the couple's first child.

"I did it for them," Jess added.

Russian Albina Gallymova, 45, of Austin won the women's "Texas Showdown" marathon. Her time of 2:40:38 was good for fourth place and second Master overall.

After a sold-out field of 32,000 entrants in San Antonio, the Rock 'n' Roll Series heads to Las Vegas on Sunday, December 6 for the inaugural Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas Marathon & ½ Marathon. More than 25,000 runners are expected to rock world-famous Las Vegas Boulevard as the entire 13.1-mile half-marathon course will run on the Las Vegas Strip. The event will feature the world's largest contingent of Running Elvi, a run-through wedding chapel, as well as a professional field of international Olympic athletes. For more information or to register for the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series, visit: www.runrocknroll.com

2nd Rock 'n' Roll San Antonio: Texas Showdown
San Antonio, TX, Sunday, November 15, 2009

Marathon
MEN
1) Daniel Jess, 28, San Antonio, TX, 2:36:58, $2700*
2) Martin Alvarez, 30, San Antonio, TX, 2:40:22, $1250#
3) Joshua Keena, 35, Pflugerville, TX, 2:40:58, $500
*includes 5th U.S. & 1st Bexar County; #includes 2nd Bexar County

WOMEN
1) Albina Gallymova (RUS), 45, Austin, TX, 2:40:38, $4500**
2) Kate Brown, 31, San Antonio, TX, 3:01:50, $2000+
3) Bridget Binning, 27, San Antonio, TX, 3:06:57, $750#
**includes 4th overall & 2nd Masters; +includes 3rd U.S. & 1st Bexar County; #includes 2nd Bexar County

Half-Marathon
MEN
1) Westly Keating, 27, Edinburg, TX, 1:05:24, $1000
2) Shadrack Songok (KEN), 25, Corpus Christi, 1:05:24, $750
3) Koby Styles, Holliday, 25, 1:08:49, $500

WOMEN
1) Mary Davies (NZL), 27, Houston, TX, 1:18:16, $1000
2) Melisa Christian, 33, Dallas, TX, 1:18:31, $750
3) Allison Macsas, 25, Austin, TX, 1:18:58, $500

More event results at: www.san-antonio.competitor.com

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