FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Susan Reid
Elite Racing, Inc.
858-864-2090
Ian Monahan
Elite Racing, Inc.
858-518-6077
Yae Captures Second Victory at P.F. Chang's Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon
New Champion Crowned on Women's Side
TEMPE, Ariz. (Jan. 14, 2007) - Ethiopian Terefae Yae returned to the medal
stand and the women's race saw a new champion at the fourth edition of the
P.F. Chang's Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon and ½ Marathon Sunday. Yae, who
won here in 2005 and was runner-up last year, used a sprint down the home
stretch to win the 26.2-mile race in a time of 2 hours, 14 minutes, 13
seconds. Adanech Zekiros, also from Ethiopia, won the women's race in
2:31:43, the second fastest women's time in event history.
Running on a chilly morning where the thermometer read 28 degrees at the
start, the men ran a slow, tactical race that quickly broke into two packs.
Yae, 25, with countryman and friend Fikadu Degefu, 34, stayed at the front,
running 5:23 and 5:22 thru miles 18 and 19. Belarus product Andrei Gordeev,
31, after twice falling off the pack, surged to the front at mile 21 before
he and the pack slowed to a 5:36 mile thru 22.
In 2006, it was Yae who lost the sprint to the finish. This year, he turned
the table and used a late burst of speed to edge out Degefu who finished
just three seconds behind in 2:14:13. Gordeev was third in 2:14:27 and
defending champion Shimelis Mola, also from Ethiopia, finished fourth in
2:14:51.
"The Ethiopians are strong in the shorter distances," Degefu said of Yae's
sprint. "But I don't have the speed as he does. We are coming into the
finish with three people (Yae, Gordeev). I tried to come together with my
friend, Terefae, but he has more power."
"Our bodies were not warm," Yae countered as the athletes commented on the
unusually cool race conditions. "It is like putting your body in ice. I
never could get warm."
Zekiros, who was making her first appearance in the United States, battled
the length of the course with Mulu Seboka, passing thru the 10K and half
marathon marks with a course record in site. Zekiros made her decisive move
in the 21st mile and went on to win by nearly four minutes. Salomie Getnet,
20, another youngster making her first appearance in the U.S., was second
in 2:35:12.
Three-time defending champion Shitaye Gemechu struggled with a stomach
illness and did not finish, dropping out near mile 14.
Over 36,600 participants, including the Phoenix Children's Hospital Kids'
Rock racers, registered for the fourth annual P.F. Chang's Rock 'n' Roll
Arizona Marathon & ½ Marathon. Over $5.8 million (net) was raised by 2,300
runners and walkers representing 13 official charities. For more
information and complete race results, go to www.RnRaz.com.
-- Results Follow --
P.F. Chang's Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon Jan. 14, 2007 Tempe, Ariz.
Top 10 Men's Marathon Results
1, Terefae Yae, 25, Ethiopia, 2:14:13, $20,000 2, Fikadu Degefu, 34,
Ethiopia, 2:14:16, $10,000 3, Andrei Gordeev, 31, Belarus, 2:14:27, $6500
4, Shimelis Mola, 24, Ethiopia, 2:14:51, $4000 5, Girma Tola, 30, Ethiopia,
2:16:19, $3000 6, Yuriy Hychun, 29, Ukraine, 2:18:35, $1800 7, Assefa
Mezgebu, 23, Ethiopia, 2:19:38, $1400 8, Giday Amaha, 29, Ethiopia,
2:21:41, $1200 9, Dejene Nigussie, 22, Ethiopia, 2:22:08, $1100 10, Tobias
Hiskia, 29, Namibia, 2:22:31, $1000
Top 10 Women's Marathon Results
1, Adanech Zekiros, 24, Ethiopia, 2:31:43, $20,000 2, Salomie Getnet, 20,
Ethiopia, 2:35:12, $10,000 3, Maria Portilla, 33, Peru, 2:37:40, $6500 4,
Mulu Seboka, 22, Ethiopia, 2:42:44, $4000 5, Susan Loken, 42, Phoenix,
2:47:09, $3000 6, Danuta Marczyk Tesch, 33, Poland, 2:52:16, $1800 7, Kara
Ryczek, 32, USA (Mass.), 2:52:22, $1400 8, Michele Suszek, 24, USA (Colo.),
2:55:09, $1200 9, Amy Regnier, 44, USA (Colo.), 2:56:28, $1100 10, Sarah
Cowles, 32, USA (Calif.), 2:59:15, $1000
State of Arizona
Men
David Allison, 36, Phoenix, 2:30:35, $1,000
Ron Hyde, 47, Scottsdale, 2:34:31, $500
Women
Susan Loken, 42, Phoenix, 2:47:09, $1,000
Rhonda Riley, 24, Tempe, 3:01:38, $500
Maricopa County
Men
David Allison, 36, Phoenix, 2:30:35, $1,000
Ron Hyde, 47, Scottsdale,2:34:31, $500
Women
Susan Loken, 42, Phoenix, 2:47:09, $1,000
Rhonda Riley, 24, Tempe, 3:01:38, $500
Masters
Male
Ron Hyde, 47, Scottsdale, Ariz., 2:34:31, $1,000
Female
Susan Loken, 42, Phoenix, Ariz., 2:47:09, $1,000
Wheelchair
Tyler Byers, 24, Reston, Va., 1:57:28, $600
Half Marathon Winners (no prize money in the half)
Male - Morten Bostrom, 24, Flagstaff, Ariz., 1:06:33
Female - Liz Wilson, 38, Eugene, Ore., 1:18:37
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