FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Ian Frink
Elite Athlete Coordinator
309-269-9941
MUSUVA WINS SECOND QUAD CITIES MARATHON
KARNATSEVICH SETS COURSE RECORD BY OVER 8 MINUTES IN WOMEN'S RACE
MOLINE, IL - Andrew Musuva (Kenya) won his second Quad Cities Marathon,
while Halina Karnatsevich (Belarus) shattered the women's course record,
Sunday, in the 7th annual 26.2-mile race.
Musuva's time, the second fastest in race history, of 2:20:44 was enough
for a 37-second win. His 2002 winning time was 2:21:15. Karnatsevich
hammered out a 2:36:26 to post a 3:08 margin of victory and break the QCM
course record by 8:22. Alena Vinitskaya (2:44:48), of Belarus, previously
held the course record.
In the men's race, Musuva broke from the lead pack of six runners mid-way
through the race. At mile 17, he then opened a small lead on Dzmitry Sivou
(Belarus). Musuva extended his advantage in the final stages to secure
victory. Sivou was second in 2:21:21, the third fastest time in race
history. Sivou notched his second straight top-3 finish at the QCM; he was
third last year.
Americans Joe Wilson (Ogden, UT) and James McGown (Shelton, NE) moved up in
the later stages of the race to finish third (2:49:49) and fourth
(2:25:53), respectively. McGown posted his third consecutive top-4 finish
at the QCM (4th, 2002 and 2nd, 2003).
In the women's race, Karnatseivh ran should-to-shoulder with Valentyna
Poltavska (Ukraine) from the start until the final 10k. Karnatsevich then
broke the race open during the final stages for her 2:36:26. Poltavska,
who also bettered the old record by a considerable margin, finished in
2:39:34. Sarah Plaxton (Highland, MI) used a late charge to place third in
2:47:19, just ahead of fourth-place finisher Elvira Kolpakova (Russia), who
ran 2:48:06.
The men's master's race was the closest in history. Phil Kauder (Cascade,
IA) finally won the title, after being close in each of the past three
years (3rd, 2003; 2nd, 2002; 2nd, 2001). He notched a 2:36:15 to just edge
Jerry Lack (East Moline, IL) who ran 2:36:19. Kauder was ninth overall,
while Lack placed 10th. Russ Boore (Hampton, IL) was third in the master's
at 2:37:10.
Beverly Owen (Smithville, MO), running in her second marathon, won the
women's master's title in 2:51:15. She also placed fifth overall. Ann
Boyd-Stewart (Ypsilanti, MI) and Kathy Waldron (Green Bay, WI) were second
and third at 2:56:19 and 3:02:06, respectively.
The race was run under sunny skies, with little wind, and temperatures in
the upper 50's to low 60's.
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