FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Kim Smith, Ethiopians Dominate at Rock 'n' Roll Providence
Inaugural event honored former Gov. Bruce Sundlun
Curt Schilling, Amazing Race and Biggest Loser Contestants Enjoy Race
Providence, RI - August 7, 2011 - The rain kept falling, but the party kept
going as the inaugural Rock 'n' Roll Providence Half Marathon kicked off
this morning with more than 7,000 entrants. Despite a constant downpour
throughout the day, an enthusiastic crowd of runners stayed long after the
finish, dancing and celebrating to the familiar sounds of Sugar Ray with
the majestic State House in the background.
Providence College grad Kim Smith ran on familiar streets, winning the
women's race easily in 1:11:54. Running with the lead men's pack for the
first several miles, she eventually dropped back and continued on her own
with no competition in sight. A two-time New Zealand Olympian, Smith holds
the U.S. all-comers record for the 13.1-mile distance of 1:07:36 at the
Rock 'n' Roll Mardi Gras Half Marathon in February. Smith admitted that she
is still trying to mentally overcome a disappointing finish at Boston, but
said today was a good start as she looks toward the ING New York City
Marathon this fall.
"This was not an easy course, but surprisingly flat for Providence, so it
was a good workout for sure," she said. "It's great to run at home in
Providence because I haven't competed here in about ten years and I enjoy
running Rock 'n' Roll races. This was my first real training run for New
York. The conditions weren't ideal because of the rain, but I had fun."
Tezata Dengersa, 31, of Turkey came in behind Smith at 1:18:56, followed
by Jessica Snyder of Rochester, New York.
In the men's race, a pack of five stayed together until mile 7 when
Ethiopians Kumsa Adugna Megersa and Tesfaye Assefa Dube pulled ahead
together. Best friends and roommates in Bronx, New York, the two train with
the Westside YMCA. Megersa would take the win at 1:07:32, with Dube
trailing by 18 seconds at 1:07:50.
Third place in the men's race went to Providence local Patrick Moulton, who
works at a local running store and decided to run the day before on a whim.
"I had never run a Rock 'n' Roll so I thought I might as well," he said.
Moulton attended Providence College with Kim Smith and led the men's pack
for several miles before finding himself jockeying with 4th place finisher
Chris Zablocki behind Megersa and Dube. "I was just trying to run my own
race. It was awesome to do so well at home."
Moulton qualified for the Olympic Trials last year in 2:15:35 and is
looking toward the Hartford Marathon, which he has won twice.
The inaugural race honored former Governor Bruce Sundlun, who recently
passed away and was integral in bringing the event to town. The winners of
both the men's and women's races received the Governor Bruce Sundlun
Memorial Trophy, a tradition that will continue. Runners also honored him
with a moment of silence at the start line.
His son, Tracy Sundlun, a senior vice president at Competitor Group and one
of the founders of the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series, said his father would
have been proud.
"He wasn't here in person, but no question he was here in spirit, though
given all the rain, I wonder if I didn't get him a good enough Christmas
present," he joked. "He would have been thrilled to see thousands of people
running through downtown Providence and so many from out of town visiting
and supporting such a great city that he loved dearly."
Also among the competitors were Providence police detectives Mike Naylor
and Louie Stravato, who traveled 40,000 miles around the globe on the CBS
show "The Amazing Race." They trained with Olympian and Boston Marathon
champ Geoff Smith and finished in 2:14:00 and 2:46:41, respectively.
Former Boston Red Sox star pitcher Curt Schilling was on the sidelines,
watching as his wife Shonda finished in 2:21:52. Other television
personalities at the start line included "Biggest Loser" contestants and
country star Dan Evans and his mother Jackie. Dan finished in 3:19:12, with
Jackie following in 3:44:45.
Top Results
Place, Name, Age, Country/Hometown, Time
Men
1. Kumsa Adugna Megersa, 25, Ethiopia, 1:07:32
2. Tesfaye Assefa Dube, 26, Ethiopia, 1:07:50
3. Patrick Moulton, 29, Rhode Island, 1:09:01
Women
1. Kim Smith, 29, New Zealand, 1:11:54
2. Tezata Dengersa, 31, Turkey, 1:18:56
3. Jessica Snyder, 27, New York, 1:20:46
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