NYC Cuddles Huddle

In the unofficial "end" to the 2016 OUTdoor season, today's New York City Marathon was over-hyped with predictions of what 26.2 rookie Molly Huddle would do.
After all, being America's foremost distance runner, Huddle would automatically be a raging success at a distance twice-over in distance what she'd ever raced!
Well, she was and she wasn't.

After the lead uphill bridge mile of 6:28, with most of the female elites banding together, the pace dipped into the 5's.
Through most of Brooklyn, Huddle stuck with Mary Keitany and Company, never more than 2 or 3 seconds back.
Then Keitany threw in a few sub-5:10's, blasting off to a huge lead, reaching the Half in 1:12:37, a full 55 seconds up on Huddle, who came through in 1:13:32.

At that point, Joyce Chepkurui was hanging tight with Keitany.
But the surge deadened the legs of Chepkurui, and red meat odor drifted back to the track rivals pairing of Huddle and Sally Kipyego!
(Remember their great 10000 at Payton Jordan, when Kipyego beat Huddle, 30:42 to 30:47!)
As Huddle moved closer to the fading Chepkurui, Kipyego was gaining on Molly!

Going north through Manhatten towards the Bronx, Huddle passed Chepkurui, but Kipyego passed both of them!
Not sure whether she was having problems, but Huddle slowed to near-6 minute pace for a couple of miles, allowing Kipyego to pass her.
Reviving, she actually ran a mile or two faster than Kipyego, but it wasn't enough.

Keitany won her 3rd straight NYC race in almost the same time as in 2015---2:24:26!
Kipyego--after DNF'ing her initial NY race last year, ended 2nd in 2:28:01.
Huddle hung in for a good debut of 2:28:13.
This makes her 17th A-T US!!

Yes, she was VERY successful in finishing "on the podium".
But with a potential for breaking the American Record, a time over 8 minutes slower dims her glory a bit!
Hopefully, she'll race her next marathon on a flat and fast course, and run the time we hoped for today!

Dathan Ritzenhein LED the Men's race for a few miles.
But not just led!
He was doing it at sub-5 mile pace---even over the first long bridge!
Also running well for the US was surprising Abdi Abdirahman.
I'd thought he'd retired--or at least was finished as an "elite" athlete!

Don't know what caused it, but Ritz DNF'ed somewhere past Halfway--maybe around 16 miles?
Might have been earlier.
Whatever the case, the top-rated US Male was out!
Abdi was still in, running with a lead pack of Africans past 13.1 in 1:04:27, just 5 seconds behind the leaders.

A few miles in the 4:30's dropped the others, leaving young Ghirmay Ghebrelassie on his way to a fast win in 2:07:51, his second half a negative split of 1:03:29!
Lucas Rotich finished 2nd in 2:08:53.
Abdi faded in the final 13.1, but ended 3rd anyway, 2:30 behind Rotich, time of 2:11:23.
Not bad for someone 39 years old!!

Tatyana McFadden won the Women's Wheelchair race easily, her 16th win over the distance!
Time of 1:47:43.

A couple of famous Walkers were in the race, one running it, the other---er---walking it!
Retired Robert Korzienowski--now 48 years old---ran the course in 2:47:53!
Australian Jared Tallent Walked it in 3:43:14!
(His wife Claire RAN it in 3:19:09!!)

NYRR Prez Mary Wittenberg ran the course for the first time in 3:41:09.
Canadian Record holder Lani Marchant ran 2:33:50, the fastest-ever by a Canadian in this race!!

Speaking of Walkers, the USATF 30000 race was held today, with Maria Michta-Coffey winning her 32nd USATF race (of any distance), AND breaking TWO American Records!
She was timed at 25K enroute in 2:03:34---an AR---leading to her 30K AR of 2:29:18.
BTW, if she continued to 50K at the same pace, her final "time" would be 4:08:50---a WORLD Record!!!

Mary Cain finished just 6th in the NY 5K, held yesterday!
Karoline Grovdal won it in 15:40, with Alexi Pappas 2nd in 15:54.
Stephanie Bruce, in training for December's Sacramento Marathon, was 3rd in 16:06.
Mary's time was 16:32.

Donn Cabral took the Men's race in a sluggish 14:18 over Scott Fauble's 14:21.

Today's Pittsburg 10 Miler saw Buze Diriba win in a speedy 51:38.
Upwardly mobile Emily Sisson continued her hot streak of road racing, taking 2nd in 52:03!!
Len Korir took the Men's race in 47:13.

I normally wait until year's end (December 31st!) to compile figures that measure the worth of that year!
But with just 1 or 2 "big" marathons left, and MAYBE 1 or 2 good marks coming in from Down Under when their OUTdoor season begins in December, I've decided to present some "final" numbers for 2016 OUTdoors!

How many marks dated as 2016 made my DDD's, or Top 24 Performers lists?
(Molly Huddle's 17th-ranked US time from today is included!!)

One constant is that the Women completely dominated this sector of my Record Book this OUTdoor season!

The overall totals were 240 DDD marks for the Women, with the Men getting just 125!!
Broken down, here's the numbers---

High School Men have 32 marks, while HS Women have 57!
Collegiate Women more than doubled the Men's total of 25, with their 56!
US Women have 72 marks, while US Men accumulated just 32!
The World totals were the closest, but the Women still dominated--55 to 36!

I'm still waiting for that "season"---whether OUTdoors or INdoors---that surpasses the 400 barrier!
Maybe 2017 INdoors??

With that in mind, my next posts will  be a series of INdoor season Previews!
(With more XC and Road Race results thrown in!!)