Murphy's Law: No win situation for Lynn

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By Don Allison

     Experts nodded their heads in agreement before the 19th
Tufts 10k in Boston on Columbus Day; it would surely be a two
woman battle between six time champion Lynn Jennings and
Kenyan Delillah Asiago, the hottest runner on the USA circuit
this year. Like 1994, the Tufts race served as the USATF
national 10k championship. It appeared to be up to Lynn to
prevent Asiago from stealing the thunder of the American
women, as South African Elana Meyer had done in 1994.
     After a first mile dash down historic Charles Street and
over the Longfellow bridge into Cambridge, things seemed to
have sorted out nicely: Lynn was in control with Asiago in
tow, passing the mark in 5:02. Indiana's Colette Murphy was
also alongside, looking to crash the front runners party.
     Asiago pulled away in mile two, but unlike Meyer last
year, she was unable to sustain a significant margin. The
three leaders regrouped for a time, then to everyone's
surprise save the three runners involved, Murphy surged
ahead, slowly expanding her lead to 25, then 50 meters. Well
off record pace, the race seemed to be there for the taking,
but Jennings and Asiago made no definitive move to claim it.
     Heading back into Boston over the Harvard bridge, the
two favorites were astonishing overhauled by another runner,
an American no less, Lynn Doering. Murphy was unaffected by
all of this activity, in full flight and headed for the
finish. Doering, running strong, erased much of the margin
between herself and Murphy. She ran out of room however,
still five seconds back when Colette broke the tape at 32:30
for the win and national title. Jennings followed thirty
seconds later, with no use on this day for her patented kick.
For the first time in a decade, Jenningswas not first or
second. Asiago finished next, mysteriously out of the
contention for much of the race.
     Murphy is by no means an unknown in the sport. Saying
10k was her "favorite distance" , the 30 year old from
Indianapolis is focusing on the 10k Olympic trials next
summer. Although she was fresh off two recent road race wins
in Pittsburgh and Bowling Green, She insisted " I felt great
today, but I didn't know I had it won until I crossed the
finish line." She added, "  With Lynn Jennings' kick, you can
never be certain. I never knew where she was once I took the
lead."
     For her part, Jennings seemed not to be overly
dissapointed. She claimed not be surprised by the
performances of Murphy and Doering. " It's a national
championship" , she said, " there will always be several
women sharp and ready to race. I'm always ready to go at
Tufts; I did finish as third American. " Commenting on her
effort, Lynn said " They took me out of my comfort zone early
in the race.  I really felt the headwind on Memorial Drive."
While it was not a breeze for Murphy either, on this day at
least, she turned back the nation's best 10k runners,
including perennial champion Jennings on her own " home
course."