While the "useful" Tim Hutchings questioned the veracity of handing out FOUR World Records in a single race, that's what 23 year old Kenyan Joyciline Jepkosgei accomplished in her WR-smashing Half-Marathon in Prague earlier today!
Firing on all cylinders from the gun, Jepkosgei sped through 5000 meters in 14:53.
While she inevitably slowed, her 2nd 5K of 15:12 gave her WR Number One--a Road 10000 in 30:05!!
Slowing again to 15:32, she still passed the 15K checkpoint in 45:37, her 2nd WR of the race!
Her next 5K was in 15:48, but her 20000 split of 61:25 was WR Number 3!!
At the finish, Jepkosgei became the first Woman to run a Half faster than 65 minutes!
Her 64:52 thrilled the Prague crowd lining the finishing straight!
And it left Violah Jepchumba's fast 65:22 seeming like a Sunday jog!
In 3rd came Fancy Chemutai's 65:50!
Jepkosgei thus ran 10K's of 30:05 and 31:20!!
Jordan Hasay came into this race with a Half PR of 68:40!
In just her 2nd Half, she ran 67:55, taking 45 seconds off her time!
She's building up for the Boston Marathon in just a couple of weeks!
Galen Rupp was being talked about as a sub-60 man, as he entered this race with the fastest Track 10K credentials!
But he felt a cramp early on, fell behind early, and finished 11th, 2:22 behind winner Tamirat Tola, who won in 59:37.
Also earlier today, the Carlsbad 5000 didn't have Bernard Lagat, but it DID have his sister, Violah Lagat!
The Women's race became a pack of 8 or 9 through the first half, compacting into a group of 5 doing battle to the end.
Aisha Praught led for some of the way, but Dominique Scott and Shannon Rowbury were on her shoulders!
A step behind were Brenda Martinez and Lagat!
It wasn't until the final straight that Lagat sprinted ahead to stay, ending with a time of 15:35!
But Rowbury and Praught (Or is it now Praught-Leer??) ended 1 second back with 15:36's, with Scott 4th in 15:40, followed by Martinez's 15:44.
Neely Gracey took 6th in 15:49.
The Men's race was completely different!
Paul Chelimo sped things up after the first Mile, but Carlsbad veteran Dejen Gebremeskel stayed fairly close.
Then Gebremeskel took the reins, and increased the pace even more, opening a winning gap!
His 13:27 was a solo run to the tape, with Chelimo 2nd in 13:47!
Sam McAtee was 3rd in 13:51, with Andy Vernon 4th in 13:53.
This was Gebremeskel's 5th Carlsbad title!!
The Cherry Blossom 10 Mile--in DC--was won by Stan Kebenai's 46:36, and Hiwot Gebrehedan's 53:37.
Christo Landry was 8th in 46:48, with Luke Puskedra running 47:57 in 13th.
Buze Diriba took 2nd in the Women's race with 53:52, with Tara Welling first American, ending 7th in 55:34.
The winners of Chicago's Shamrock Shuffle 8K race were Stephen Sambu's 22:47, and Kim Conley's 25:43.
Diego Estrada was 2nd in 23:06, while Meg Peyton was a minute behind Conley, time of 26:43!
In the Pan Am Cup Walk Trials, some interesting results, especially in the Junior 10K races!
Cameron Haught won it in 48:36.
But 29 seconds back--in 49:05--came 15 year old Juan Moscoso!!
(Haught is 17!)
Even better, in the Women's race, 17 year old ace Miler Lauren Harris LOST to 15 year old HS Freshman Taylor Ewert---by ONE second, 49:54 to 49:55!!
Maybe Maria Michta-Coffey will have a worthy successor soon!
Same for super-veteran John Nunn, who took the leading American honors in the 20K race with his 1:27:17, beating Nick Christie's 1:27:46.
It was even closer for MMC, as MM (aka Miranda Melville) stayed close most of the way, losing to MMC's 1:32:46. MM timed in 1:33:04.
That's the Roads report!
But this weekend was all about the Texas & Florida Relays meets, and the ever-distance-dominant Stanford Invitational!
And no race was more exciting than Stanford's Women's 10000!
Anna Rohrer out-dueled Stephanie Bruce, 31:58.99 to 31:59.88!!
For Rohrer. a Notre Dame Junior, it was her first-ever Track 10K!!
It makes her 7th A-T Collegiate!
For Bruce, now 33 and a Mom twice over, her time was a PR by about 15 seconds!
Also running her 1st Track 10000 was Eilish McColgan, daughter of the renowned Liz.
She was somewhat disappointed with her time of 32:10.59.
Another UK resident--Charlotte Taylor--ran 32:11.80, making her 12th A-T Collegiate!!
While Ed Cheserek took his 10K section in 28:46.48, due mostly to a final 400 of 61.8, the "B" race went to Abbabiya Simbassa's 28:03.83!
He beat Alfred Chelanga's 28:04.95, and Kemoy Campbell's National Record of Jamaica--28:06.40!
Stephanie's husband, Ben Bruce, was 5th in 28:09.29!
The Women's B race was taken by Rohrer's Senior teammate, Molly Seidel, who came close to her PR with her 33:19.60!!
At the San Francisco State Distance Carnival, 13 year old wunderkind Grace Ping ran 5000 meters in 16:26.83!
She WON---defeating a bunch of Pro's & Collegians!!
While she's still an 8th Grader, I'm including her time on my HS list, where she's 18th A-T!!
Her time is faster than the official HS Frosh Class record, and comes within 2 seconds of Wesley Frazier's Soph Class record!!
Then the next day, she added a Mile of 4:55.74!!
Karissa Schweizer--fairly dominant all year & in XC last fall--LOST to Washington's Amy Eloise-Neale in the Stanford 5000 race!
Neale ran 15:39.30, edging past Schweizer's 15:39.75--outkicking the kicker!!
David Elliott took the Men's race in 13:36.68, with Parker Stinson 3rd a second or so behind!
HS'er Sam Worley shocked the Texas crowd by outsprinting Leo Manzano---and everyone else!!--in a 4:00.61 Mile!!
His final 440 was 56.3!!
He's now 11th A-T HS!!
A Texas Soph, Alex Rogers, took 2nd, with Manzano 3rd in 4:02.02!
In 4th came ANOTHER High Schooler, Reed Brown, who missed my HS DDD by 0.58 with his 4:03.23!!
One sad note about this race was that no 1500 enroute splits were taken--or at least haven't been reported yet!
They would certainly make my A-T HS list!!
This happens too often---at all levels!!
Bumped OFF my HS list was the iconic Matt Centrowitz!!
Yep, Matthew's father!!
His 4:02.7 dates from 1973!!
Also OFF the list, with the same time, is Andy Powell, his time dating from 1999!
Another notable debut was that of Allie Ostrander in the Stanford 3000SC!!
MIA since the Olympic Trials, Ostrander took the lead early, showed almost-flawless hurdle technique (despite her size--or lack thereof!), and outsprinted Oiselle's Alexina Wilson, her winning time a good 9:55.61.
Wilson finished in 9:56.55, her initial dip under 10 minutes also!
Does this mean Ostrander's now a Steepler?
She says she doesn't know, but will probably run a couple more this year!!
Another 8th Grader to impress was Jinah Michas (Sp?) in the Florida HS 800!
Her 2:08.05 took 2nd!!
John Rivera's 1:50.38 took the HS Men's race!
Other Middle Distance marks were---
UTEP Frosh Michael Saruni beat Donavan Brazier in the Florida Relays 800, 1:45.82 to 1:46.11.
Chrishuna Williams won the Women's race in 2:02.25, beating Kendra Chambers's 2:02.43!
In another Florida 800, Marilyn Okoro's 2:02.50 outran Cory McGee's 2:02.55!
In another FL Men's race, Isaiah Harris won in 1:45.64, with Joseph White ending in 1:46.07, with Andres Arroyo 3rd in 1:46.42!
Elinor Purrier ran the 1500 in 4:14.48 at the Colonial Relays!
But races in Florida and Stanford were a bit faster!
Rhianwedd Price took the FL race in 4:13.84.
Following in 2nd was Angel Piccirillo's 4:14.11, and Danae Rivers's 3rd place time of 4:16.33.
The Stanford race was won by Fresno State's Annemarie Schwanz's 4:13.82, with Millie Palladino taking 2nd in 4:14.76!
A famous NAME won Stanford's Men's 3000SC, but NOT (yet!) a famous ATHLETE!!
His name is Michael Jordan---NO relation!!--and his time was 8:33.31.
Faster--and with an equally interesting name!--was Zak Seddon, whose 8:30.17 winner at Florida led the weekend!
And since these posts (See my earlier post!) have been mostly about a couple of Relay meets, let's finish off this HUGE report (in 2 parts!) with a bit of Relay results!
At Florida, Penn State's Women took the 4X800 with a time of 8:38.17!
Danae Rivers ran the 2nd leg!
The Florida Men's race was won by Florida (sic!!) in 7:18.11.
Andres Arroyo anchored!
Penn State, with Isaiah Harris anchoring, ran 7:18.70 in 2nd!
Do you all agree that my first post's title summed up this weekend's action quite well??
WOW indeed!!
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