Philadelphia Distance Run 2009 (21k; 20/set/09): crónica

Victorias de Ryan Hall y Catherine Ndereba en el 32º ING Philadelphia Distance Run

Hall, Ndereba win Philadelphia Distance Run
By Pat Leonard

For The Inquirer

On a brisk, sunny morning in downtown Philadelphia yesterday, Olympians Ryan Hall and Catherine Ndereba captured the men's and women's divisions in the 32d annual Philadelphia Distance Run.

The 13.1-mile race featured a field of 15,000 registered runners. But the results in the half-marathon were no surprise.

Hall, 26, who broke the men's tape at 1 hour, 1 minute, and 52 seconds, entered his Philadelphia debut as the United States half-marathon record-holder, having run the 2007 U.S. Half Marathon National Championship in 59:43 in Houston.

And Ndereba, 37, won her seventh Philadelphia Distance Run with a time of 1:09:43.

"It's the home crowd," said Ndereba, a native of Kenya who lives in Norristown. "I've been here almost 15 years now, so it's good to win at home."

Ndereba's victory was her first since 2002, when she capped a string of five straight first-place finishes and six in seven years dating to 1996. Her winning time yesterday was not her personal best, but Ndereba, who ran for Kenya in the Beijing Olympics, eclipsed last year's winning mark of 1:10:21 by Russia's Liliya Shobukhova, and that was good enough to reclaim the women's crown.

On the men's side, Hall won, but was not his record-breaking self.

Though the California native's U.S. half-marathon record set in Houston is the only top-five men's time not to be set in Philadelphia, Hall's time yesterday fell short of the race's men's record, set at 1:00:27 by Khalid Khannouchi in 1997.

But no matter, Hall said afterward. He would like to set records every time out, but Hall said healthy preparation for his next race - in this case the New York City Marathon on Nov. 1 - requires a more level-headed approach.

"Every time out is going to be a little bit different, and when I was out there today I was thinking about how I need to practice winning the race," said Hall, who appeared ready to continue running following his victory. "After the first couple miles, it was obvious a record wasn't going to be on for today."

Hall and Ndereba said that when they approached City Hall at the two-mile mark they could feel the pace necessary for victory, even if it was not going to break personal, Philadelphia, or national records.

Ardmore's Mike McKeeman was 10th among the men at 1:05:59. The top finishers from Philadelphia yesterday were Matthew Forys, 24, in the men's division (12th place; 1:06:36), and Claire Duncan, 26, in the women's (13th place; 1:18:41).

Top Finishers

Men
1. Ryan Hall, 26, Mammoth Lakes, Calif., 1:01:52
2. Samuel Ndereba, 32, Kenya, 1:01:56
3. Benjamin Limo, 35, Kenya, 1:02:01
4. Valentine Orare, 26, Kenya, 1:02:22
5. Mike Sayenko, 24, Bellevue, Wash., 1:05:04
6. Josh Cox, 33, El Cajon, Calif.,1:05:09
7. Andrew Dumm, 24, Washington, D.C., 1:05:41
8. Lee Troop, 36, Australia, 1:05:42
9. Joel Mwaura, 26, Waldorf, Md., 1:05:47
10. Mike McKeeman, 33, Ardmore, Pa., 1:05:59

Women
1. Catherine Ndereba, 37, Kenya, 1:09:43
2. Irene Limika, 30, Kenya, 1:09:46
3. Neriah Asiba, 28, Kenya, 1:10:26
4. Derartu Tulu, 37, Ethiopia, 1:10:33
5. Hellen Kimutai, 31, Kenya, 1:10:43
6. Evelyn Lagat, 29, Kenya, 1:12:25
7. Karolina Jarzynska, 28, Poland, 1:12:27
8. Kirsten Fryburg, 28, Boulder, Colo., 1:13:52
9. Samia Akbah, 27, Washington, D.C., 1:14:06
10. Constantina Dita, 39, Romania, 1:14:47

Entrevista de Runner´s World TV a Ryan Hall luego del Philadelphia Distance Run