FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
2,798 Confront The Cold To Complete
City Of Oaks Marathon And Rex Healthcare Half Marathon
Kipkoech shatters Rex Healthcare Half Marathon record
RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA (November 7, 2010) - Blue skies, cool temperatures
and cash prizes coaxed 2,798 local, national and international runners to
the starting line of Raleigh's City of Oaks Marathon and Rex Healthcare
Half Marathon today. The 26.2-mile marathon and 13.1-mile half marathon,
which started and finished on N.C. State University's Centennial Campus,
tested runners' endurance while raising thousands of dollars for
health-related charities.
Geoffrey Kiprotich, 32, of Durham, NC, captured the men's marathon win,
crossing the line in a time of 2:26:07 and earning a $1,300 cash award.
Kiprotich ran in a pack of leaders for most of the race, but pulled away
near the 21-mile mark, quickly gaining a lead of about 30 seconds. Behind
him was Kalib Wilkinson, 26, of Lynchburg, VA, who hung on to his
second-place spot and finished in a time of 2:27:19, winning an $800 prize.
Third place belonged to Sergey Kaledin, 42, of Eugene, OR, who completed
the race in 2:29:13 and earned $600.
Returning women's marathon champion Elena Kaledina, 44, of Eugene, OR,
defended her 2009 title here today. She won her event in a time of 2:51:33
and earned a $1,300 cash prize. She held a comfortable lead over Raleigh's
own Kimberlie Fowler, 30, who placed second in a time of 3:11:11 and won
$800. Brooke Waters, 34, of Shawnee, KS, took to the podium, too, earning
$600 and third place for her time of 3:11:11.
The cool weather helped produce a fast finishing time for Daniel Kipkoech
in today's Rex Healthcare Half Marathon. Kipkoech, 23, of Kennesaw, GA,
broke the half marathon record by completing the course in 1:04:38, a full
30 seconds faster than the previous record that was set in 2009. He earned
the $1,000 winner's prize.
Kipkoech ran in a pack of three runners for most of the race, but began to
gain some distance over the others during the final three miles. Chasing
Kipkoech was Raleigh's Stephen Furst, 25, a former N.C. State runner. Furst
said he struggled with "some cramping issues" as he tried to reel the
leader back in. He managed a strong finish, earning second place and $600
for his time of 2:05:07. Other local runners soon joined him at the finish,
including Nicholas Kurgat, 31, of Chapel Hill, NC, who took third place in
a time of 1:05:29 and won $400.
The women's half marathon was won by 25-year-old Maria Busienei of
Charleston, WV, in a time of 1:20:20. She held off Kristina Vegh, 27, of
Flagstaff, AZ, who sprinted in to the finish just 20 seconds behind
Busienei. Busienei won $1,000 and Vegh took home the $600 award. Tatiana
Mironova, 41, of Hebron, KY, earned third in 1:21:12 and won $400.
The top five men and top five women runners in today's marathon and half
marathon events won cash prizes, as did the first U.S. citizens and the top
male and female Masters (over age 40) runners. The winners of the
U.S.-citizen and Masters race awards were not available at press time.
Proceeds from the City of Oaks Marathon and Rex Healthcare Half Marathon
benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Rex Healthcare Foundation, and
Girls on the Run. Presenting sponsor Raleigh Running Outfitters established
the City of Oaks Race in 2007 with the intention of bringing a prestigious
running event to the city of Raleigh.
Complete race results are available at
http://www.fsseries.com/liveresults/oaks.txt. For more information on the
City of Oaks Marathon and Rex Healthcare Half Marathon, visit the official
race website, www.cityofoaksmarathon.com.
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