FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Grandma's Marathon 2010 Recap
(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 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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