FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
U.S. All-Comers, Event Records Fall in Philadelphia
·Mathew Kisorio defends title running 4th fastest time in history;
Kim Smith shatters previous U.S. best
·Villanova Grad Bobby Curtis runs second fastest U.S. half in 2011
·6 Americans run under 2012 Olympic Trials Qualifying time
·Record Field of 20,866 entrants
PHILADELPHIA, PA – September 18, 2011 - History was made at the Rock 'n'
Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon on Sunday, not once but twice, as Mathew
Kisorio of Kenya and Kim Smith of New Zealand set U.S. All-Comers' Records,
winning the men's and women's divisions with late surges.
Kisorio fought off a challenge from one of his best friends, countryman
Sammy Kitwara, winning in 58 minutes, 46 seconds, smashing the mark of
58:55, which was then a world record when set by Haile Gebrselassie of
Ethiopia in Phoenix in 2006. Smith also beat back a challenge from Werknesh
Kidane of Ethiopia, winning in 1:07:11, breaking the previous U.S. best of
1:07:36 she set at New Orleans in February.
"The times were unbelievable," said Rod Dixon, Olympic medalist and 1983
New York City Marathon Champion. "As we keep moving on in history, the bar
keeps getting lower. Pretty soon, if you put up one or two million dollars
in prize money, you'll see someone run a marathon under two hours." Dixon
won this historic Philadelphia race twice, setting a world record here in
1981.
"The times were fantastic," Jim Ryun, the great U.S. distance runner and
U.S Olympic silver medalist said. "It was so beautiful to see. Their
strides and their form were wonderful. They were very strong at the
finish."
Kisorio, who plans to run his first marathon in New York in November, was
excited about his race.
"I was looking to run my fastest ever," said Kisorio, who also won the
Philadelphia race last year in a then course record 1:00:16. "I've been
training hard in Kenya for the last two months."
The 22-year-old running sensation kept looking at his watch during the
race. "When I saw my watch at 10K, I knew I could run under 60 (minutes).
This course is fantastic." Kisorio improved his personal record by one
minute, 17 seconds.
Kisorio and Kitwara broke away from the field near the three-mile mark and
continued running stride-for-stride until the final hill, shortly before
the finish. Then, Kisorio made a move and Kitwara just couldn't keep up.
"Going up the hill was hard for me," Kitwara said, after finishing two
seconds behind his compatriot in 58:48 but also under Gebrselassie's old
mark. Kisorio's time of was also the fourth-fastest in world history and
Kitwara's was fifth."
Bobby Curtis, former Villanova all-American, was the first U.S. finisher,
placing ninth in 1:01:53 in his first half-marathon, also becoming the
second fastest American half-marathoner for the year. Olympian Adam
Goucher, in his first race in some two years, also dipped under the Olympic
trials qualifier of 1:05:00, finishing in 1:04:52. He was one of seven men
and nine women who qualified for the U.S. Marathon Trials at today's race.
Smith, 25, entered the race with much trepidation. What caused her
psychological concern was her performance in the Boston Marathon in April.
There, she had a huge lead after 10 miles when she developed a torn calf
muscle and had to drop out.
"It was nice to have this race," Smith said. "I needed this for motivation.
I was struggling with Boston. Physically, it didn't take me long to
recover, but mentally it did. I was just trying to run hard and be relaxed
and feel comfortable. I knew I was running fast, but I wasn't sure what my
times were translating to." History, it turned out.
Smith and Kidane ran together until about the final mile. Then, Smith took
the lead and Kidane couldn't keep up.
"I wore her down," Smith said. "She was tough. To beat her is something.
She's a world champion."
Kidane, winner of six medals at the World Championships including a gold,
finished in 1:07:28, also under the old U.S. All-Comers Record. The best
American was Maegan Kifchin of Ithaca, NY who placed fifth in 1:11:04,
bursting onto the U.S. distance running scene with the third fastest half
marathon time by an American this year.
Smith also set pending U.S. all-comers' records for 10 miles (51:04) and 20
kilometers (1:03:38), while Kisorio set a pending all-comers' mark of 55:44
for 20K, making for a historic day in Philadelphia.
A race record of 20,886 entrants were scheduled to start in perfect
weather, 56 degrees and a slight wind as the Rock 'n' Roll Philadelphia
Half Marathon once again solidified its reputation as one of the world's
great races. Among the runners was Dana Jacobson of ESPN, who completed the
half marathon in 2:19:49, under the careful eye of her trainer Bart Yasso.
A pumped up crowd celebrated their accomplishment with a hard rocking
performance by Bret Michaels. Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series co-founder
Tracy Sundlun remarked on a banner day for the record books.
"The reason everyone ran so fast was to get a front row seat to listen to
Bret Michaels."
Race Results
(Place, Name, Age, County, Time, Prize)
Top 5 Men
1. Mathew Kisorio, 22, Kenya, 58:46,*$9,500
2. Sammy Kitwara, 24, Kenya, 58:48, $2,000
3. James Mwangi, 27, Kenya, 1:00:43, $1,500
4. Peter Kamais, 34, Kenya, 1:01:07, $1,000
5. Julias Koskei, 29, Kenya, 1:01:22, $750
Top 5 Women
1. Kim Smith, 29, New Zealand, 1:07:11, *$9,500
2. Werknesh Kidane, 29, Ethiopia, 1:07:28, $2,000
3. Bizunesh Deba, 24, Ethiopia, 1:09:55, $1,500
4. Jane Kibii, 26, Kenya, 1:10:25, $1,000
5. Maegan Krifchin, 23, USA, 1:11:05, $1,250**
*Includes Event Record and All-Comers Record Bonus
**Includes Top U.S. Prize Money
Masters Results
Men
1. Vyacheslav Shabunin, 41, Russia, 1:03:52, $1,000
2. Christopher Carr, 49, Garnett Valley, PA, 1:09:22, $500
3. Thom Little, 40, New York, NY, 1:09:26, $250
Women
1. Peggy Yetman, 43, Leesburg, VA, 1:20:21, $1,000
2. Abby Dean, 40, Philadelphia, PA, 1:22:37, $1,500^
3. Nnenna Lynch, 40, New York, NY, 1:23:34, $250
2012 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials Qualifying times
Men
Bobby Curtis, 26, Philadelphia, PA, 1:01:53, $1,500^
Chris Barnicle, 24, Newtonville, MA, 1:02:45, $400
Jason Hartmann, 30, Boulder, CO, 1:03:39, $300
Michael Eaton, 24, Bowling Green, KY, 1:04:37, $200
C. Fred Joslyn, 27, Syracuse, NY, 1:04:38, $100
Adam Goucher, 36, Portland, OR, 1:04:53
Paul Hefferon, 25, Rochester Hills, MI, 1:04:54
Women
Dot McMahan, 34, Rochester Hills, MI, 1:13:00, $400
Adriana Nelson, 31, Boulder, CO, 1:13:01, $300
Melissa White, 30, Rochester Hills, MI, 1:13:13, $200
Wendy Thomas, 32, Windsor, CO, 1:13:49, $100
Teresa McWalters, 27, Cambridge, MA, 1:14:23
Brianne Nelson, 30, Fort Collins, CO, 1:14:38
Amanda Rice, 27, Bethesda, MD, 1:14:39
Mattie Suver, 34, Lake Tapps, WA, 1:14:56
^Includes top city of Philadelphia prize money
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