FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Kim Smith Sets Course Record at B.A.A. 10K
A beautiful summer morning greeted 4,576 runners gathering on Boston Common
for the 2nd annual B.A.A. 10K on June 24. As the runners toed the line at
8:00 a.m. under bright and sunny skies, the conditions were set for fast
running, with a temperature of 74.4 degrees, 42% humidity, and very low
winds.
The elite women stuck together in the early stages of the race, making
their way through Boston's Back Bay neighborhood and heading down scenic
Commonwealth Avenue. The women ran in a tightly bunched pack that included
Ethiopia's Aheza Kiros and Kim Smith, of New Zealand.
Sharon Cherop, the 2012 Boston Marathon champion, and Caroline Kilel, the
2011 Boston Marathon champion and defending B.A.A. 10K champion, were also
among the contenders in the early goings. They were joined by Kenyan
compatriots, Jelliah Tinega and Chemtai Rionoukei. The leaders passed the
one mile mark in 5:04, with American Lindsey Scherf on their heels.
New Zealand native and Providence, RI-native Smith was content with the
relaxed pace in the opening miles. Comparing this year's race to last
year's, where she placed second in 32:08, Smith said, "definitely, going
out a little easier helped."
Smith and Kiros appeared to be feeding off one another, coming through 5K
tied at 15:58. In the fourth mile, Kiros tried to push the pace on Smith,
who responded well.
"I kind of just sat in for the first 5K and then Kiros pushed the fourth
mile a little bit and I went with her," Smith said. "I thought she was
tiring a little bit, so then I surged a little bit and dropped her. I like
to run alone and push on, so that kind of suited me."
Once she had room to run alone, Smith never looked back. Finding some
daylight, Smith passed the four-mile mark in 20:23, opening a gap on Kiros
and Cherop. Behind them, the chase pack strung out. By five miles, Smith
opened a 12-second lead on Kiros. With just one kilometer to go, she
extended her lead to 15 seconds.
Fueled by the cheers of the crowd, the New Englander could not be denied
over the race's final stages. Smith went on to win convincingly, setting a
new course record of 31:36.
"Being local, I think I knew a lot of people in the race," Smith said with
a smile after her victory. "I felt like everyone was kind of cheering for
me."
time was 22 seconds ahead of Caroline Kilel's record of 31:36, which she
ran at the inaugural B.A.A. 10K last year. Kiros also finished inside of
Kilel's former course record, running 31:57. Cherop rounded out the top
three in 32:03.
With the B.A.A. 10K in the history books, Smith will turn her attention to
the Olympic Games in London, where she will compete in the marathon. After
that race, she will return to Boston for B.A.A. Half Marathon, the third
and final race of the inaugural B.A.A. Distance Medley.
The B.A.A. Distance Medley incorporates the B.A.A. 5K, B.A.A. 10K, and
B.A.A. Half Marathon to crown one overall male and female champion based on
total elapsed time across all three races.
After her convincing win today, Smith has taken sole possession of first
place on the B.A.A. Distance Medley leaderboard with a cumulative time of
47:03. Kiros sits in second, just 15 seconds behind Smith. Tinega is in
third, 1:15 behind Smith.
Excited about her victory today, Smith spoke briefly about her outlook on
the B.A.A. Distance Medley.
"I don't know if there's ever been anything like this before. When I heard
about it, I was definitely really excited, especially the fact that it's in
Boston. It's just down the road. Anytime there's a $100,000 prize, it's
exciting. It's really exciting for the sport that the B.A.A. has put this
on, and I'm really grateful for that," she said.
The twelfth annual B.A.A. Half Marathon, presented by Dana-Farber Cancer
Institute and the Jimmy Fund, will be held on Sunday, October 7 in Boston's
Franklin Park. Registration will open on July 18, 2012.
Established in 1887, the Boston Athletic Association is a non-profit
organization with a mission of managing athletic events and promoting a
healthy lifestyle through sports, especially running. The B.A.A.'s Boston
Marathon is the world's oldest annual marathon, and the organization
manages other local events and supports comprehensive charity, youth, and
year-round running programs. Since 1986, the principal sponsor of the
Boston Marathon has been John Hancock Financial. The Boston Marathon is
part of the World Marathon Majors along with the Virgin London Marathon,
BMW Berlin Marathon, Bank of America Chicago Marathon, and the ING New York
City Marathon.
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