FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
American Magdalena Lewy Boulet
Wins Women's Divison of the
39th Annual New Balance Falmouth Road Race
Rotich and Lewy Boulet – Male and Female Winners
Olinger finishes as First American Male
Schabort Wins Third Falmouth Wheelchair Title
Falmouth, Mass. – For the first time since Jennifer Rhines won in 2003, an
American, Magdalena Lewy Boulet, 38, of Oakland, Calif., bested the women's
field with a time of 36:58. With that performance, Lewy Boulet scored a
$20,000 payday; $10,000 for first places in both the overall and American
divisions. Lucas Rotich, 21, of Kenya finished on top in the men's
division in 31:37, four seconds over fellow countryman Micah Kogo, 25. At
last weekend's Beach to Beacon 10k, the results were reversed, with Kogo's
nine-second win over Rotich.
Cloudy skies, light wins off the beach and temperatures in the low 70s
greeted the field of 10,696 official starters running the scenic seven-mile
course from Woods Hole to Falmouth Heights Beach.
A pack of four, Lewy Boulet, Diane Nukuri-Johnson, 26, of Burundi,
four-time Falmouth winner, Catherine Ndereba, 38, of Kenya, and American,
Janet Cherobon Bawcom, 32, of Atlanta, Ga., went through the first mile in
5:07. At mile two with a split of 10:18, the pack dropped Cherobon Bawcom.
The remaining women traversed the course with unofficial mile splits of
15:43 (three miles), 21:02 (four miles), and a five-mile time of 26:23. At
the six-mile mark with a time of 31:39, Lewy Boulet put in her surge. “I
decided I had to commit right now,” and commit she did, finishing in a time
of 36:58. Second-place finisher, Nukuri-Johnson, who finished in 37:13,
attempted to match the surge, but as she said after the finish, “I tried to
go with her, but just didn't have it, I decided to hold my place.” Third
and four place finishers, Ndereba (37:24) and Cherobon Bawcom (37:37)
employed the same place holding strategy.
A six-mile breakaway marked the men's division. At the first mile 4:38
split, the twenty-man pack included Rotich, Kogo, two-time Falmouth
finisher, Edward Muge, 28, of Kenya, course record holder, Gilbert Okari,
31, of Kenya, and Americans Brian Olinger, 25, of Columbus, Ohio., Adbi
Abdirahman, 34, of Tuscon, Ariz., and Chris Barnicle, 24, of Newtonville,
Mass. At the 9:07 two-mile split, the pack dwindled to six. From the
three-mile split of 13:35, four men remained, Rotich in green and Kogo in
white running shoulder to shoulder just ahead of Olinger in white and Muge
in green who were doing the same. The two pairs passed four-mile mark in
18:03 and the five-mile in 22:34 and were seen talking to each other as
they ran stride for stride. Rotich made his move at the 10k mark of 28:05
and never looked back.
When asked what was being discussed between them, Rotich who was making his
Falmouth debut, said that he was getting advice from Kogo, the 2007
Falmouth champion. That advice proved valuable in the win. Muge put in
his own surge to finish third in 32:02 to Olinger's 32:16. Olinger, a
steeplechase specialist who has taken time off from the sport due to a
plantar injury and who also made his Falmouth debut took home fourth place
money of $1,500 plus the $10,000 first place American purse. He credited
both running stride for stride with Muge as well as the incredible crowd
support along the course as contributors to his success.
In the master's division, Colleen De Reurk, 47, from Colorado Springs,
Colo., defended her title in 39:12 and finishing 16th overall. James
Kosgei, 42, of Kenya also defended his title on the men's side finishing
34th overall in 34:41.
Krige Schabort, 47, of Cedartown, Ga., Falmouth winner in 2008 and 2009 as
well as course record holder, notched his third win in 24:16 over
eight-time Falmouth champion, Craig Blanchette, 43, of Battle Group, Wash.,
(26:41) and four-time winner Tony Nogueira, 43, of Glen Ridge, N.J.,
(26:56). Jessica Galli, age 27, of Savoy, Ill., recorded her sixth win on
the women's side in 31:57.
Once again Olympian and three-time Falmouth winner Bill Rodgers, age 63, of
Sherborn, Mass.; two-time winner, as well as Olympic Marathon Gold and
Silver Medalist, Frank Shorter, age 62, of Boulder, Colo.; and Joan Benoit
Samuelson, 54, of Freeport, Maine ran scenic course. The legendary
father-son team, Dick and Rick Hoyt celebrated their 32nd Falmouth finish.
About Falmouth Road Race
The New Balance Falmouth Road Race was established in 1973 and has become
one of the premier running events of the summer season. Each year the race
draws an international field of Olympians, elite athletes and recreational
runners out to enjoy the scenic 7-mile seaside course. The non-profit
Falmouth Road Race organization is dedicated to promoting health and
fitness for all in its community. Proceeds from the race each year support
youth athletic programs in the town of Falmouth and other nonprofit
community groups.
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