Meb Keflezighi played “point guard” Monday at the 7th Bolder Boulder International Team Challenge in helping the United States score a narrow 19-21 win over defending champion Kenya. It was the first U.S. men’s team title at the Bolder Boulder and broke the Kenyans’ streak of four team titles in a row. In fact, until today’s race, the Kenyan men had never been beaten at this competition when fielding a complete finishing team (incomplete team in 1999).
It was the first U.S. men’s victory of any kind by the American men since Herb Lindsay took the 1984 Bolder crown. Kenya went 1- 6-14 with Paul Koech, 2001 winner James Koskei and 2004 Bay to Breakers champ Benjamin Maiyo scoring, while U.S. finishers and Olympians Keflezighi, Abdi Abdirahman and Alan Culpepper placed 2-8-9.
“It is all about team,” said Keflezighi, a member of Team Running USA. “The Kenyans are great, but we ran tough today.”
On a sunny, gusty day, Koech took the individual crown by easing away from Keflezighi of Mammoth Lakes, Calif. in the final 400 meters to finish in 29 minutes, 19 seconds, while the UCLA grad clocked 29:30.
The men’s team championship was not decided until the final stretch as Maiyo was passed by three men – Ecuador’s Franklin Tenorio and Silvio Guerra and Mexico’s Francisco Bautista – to help secure the U.S. win. Roughly 800 meters earlier Abdirahman had passed Maiyo, who was coming off a win at the Bay to Breakers 12K in San Francisco.
The three U.S. runners split a prize of $45,000, which includes $30,000 in U.S. Olympic training funds.
“Making the day even better was that the U.S. win came on Memorial Day,” said Abdirahman. His younger brother, Ayanle, recently returned from a tour with the U.S. Army in Iraq. “This is special for me because it honors my brother and all those who have fought in wars for freedom,” said Abdirahman, a Tucson resident. “I am not serving in the Army, but I can serve my country another way.”
In the women’s race, Madai Perez of Mexico won in 34:24 in defeating Kenya’s Gladys Asiba and leading Mexico to its first women’s team title. A 1-4-13 finish gave Mexico 18 points, 10 up on Poland. Team USA – comprising Nicole Hunt (24th place), Katie Blackett (25th) and Nikole Johns (26th) – finished last with 75 points.
Frank Shorter, who ran the citizens’ race and then did TV commentary, said “This was not a Kenyan ‘B’ team,” and another observer called the U.S. victory “a quality win,” using a collegiate basketball term.
It was an appropriate analogy, as Keflezighi kept an eye on the team standings as the race unfolded and shouted out encouragement to his teammates as they passed each other on the criterium course going up and down Folsom Street.
As he made a turn with two laps to go, Keflezighi pointed to Maiyo and yelled to teammate Culpepper, “That one is yours.”
Culpepper responded with a thumbs up signal and within a half lap passed Maiyo.
“This was just awesome,” said race director Cliff Bosley. “The finish could not have been better.”
In the individual race, Koech won $3000 and a split of the $10,000 second place team prize.
It was the slowest winning time since 1994, as runners were affected by a strong wind. That turned the Team Challenge into a tactical race that Koech did not want to turn into a Folsom Field sprint as it did last year, when he was outkicked on the stadium floor and ended up second.
All the top contenders packed together in the early going Monday, content to let Mexican Gabino Apolonia take an early lead through the first two miles.
“With that wind I did not want to go ahead,” said Koech, who has three of the top 15 10,000 meter track times in history.
Culpepper, who lives in nearby Lafayette and was an NCAA champion at the University of Colorado, ran a smart race. After a first mile of 4:44 for the main pack of runners, Culpepper dropped back going around one of the turns and ran an even-paced race the rest of the way. The 2004 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials champion said foot problems had limited his training and his ability to accelerate after slowing for the turns.
“When Meb pointed, I gave the thumbs up because I knew I was going to catch Maiyo,” Culpepper said. “But I still couldn’t tell if we were going to finish first or second. I was not feeling that great today.”
Culpepper and Keflezighi both have been battling injuries that limited their training the past few weeks. Both said the team competition was the deciding factor in their entering the Bolder Boulder.
Kenya was in front in the team competition much of the way. Maiyo was running strong and was among the leaders passing three miles in 14:19. However, he soon began dropping back as Keflezighi took the lead and began pushing the pace.
“I felt bad and was tired,” a distraught Maiyo said after finishing, sitting on some Folsom Field bleachers. “I think it was the weather, plus I’ve had a hard week training in Boulder.”
Only Koech was able to hang with Keflezighi, and the two passed four miles together in 18:55 before battling the final three kilometers of the race. Koech took a slight lead heading south on Folsom back towards Folsom Field when Keflezighi slowed to take water, and on the uphill past the statue of Frank Shorter just before the six mile mark he increased his lead.
“(Pro race coordinator) Rich (Castro) brings in so many good runners that this is a race of champions,” said Koech. “I am happy to win because we had heard so many good things about the Americans. We had bugs in our stomachs because we knew the U.S. team was ready. After I took the lead, when no one was shouting ‘USA’ behind me, I knew I was OK.”
Added Culpepper, “I knew my condition was not the best, and I was thinking, ‘how can I support my teammates?’ Every spot mattered.”
Abdirahman echoed Culpepper, saying ” I said to myself, ‘OK, I’ll hold on. When I saw Meb in the front and the three Kenyans in front of me, I knew I could not let them down. Alan and I ran well, and Meb ran great.”
Peter Tanui, manager for Team Kenya, was not disappointed with his team’s loss, saying it is healthy for the sport of road racing. “It is good for the United States to win, and I hope that it does not stop here. I hope they continue to make the Kenyans work hard, and that in the years to come that they are good in the World Championships and the Olympics … But next year in the Bolder Boulder, we will do things a little differently.”
There was a mishap with the four skydivers who jumped into Folsom Field during the annual Memorial Day celebration. Gusting winds made it difficult for the skydivers to control their landing, and one hit one of the roughly 45,000 Bolder Boulder finishers/spectators in the west stands, and another landed in a tree. The spectator was taken to Boulder Community Hospital and her condition was not known Monday night.
26th Bolder Boulder 10K: 7th Int’l Team Challenge Boulder, CO, Monday, May 31, 2004
Men Individual
1. Paul Koech, Kenya, 29:19, $3000
2. Meb Keflezighi, USA, 29:30, $5500 (includes $3500 Olympic training funds)
3. Tekeste Kebede, Ethiopia, 29:43, $1500
4. Jonathan Wyatt, New Zealand, 29:46, $1000
5. Gudisa Shentama, Ethiopia, 29:47, $800
6. James Koskei, Kenya, 29:56, $700
7. William Naranjo, Colombia, 30:01, $600
8. Abdi Abdirahman, USA, 30:10, $1000 (includes $500 OTF)
9. Alan Culpepper, USA, 30:14, $800 (includes $400 OTF)
10. Michael Aish, New Zealand, 30:24, $300
11. Franklin Tenorio, Ecuador, 30:32
12. Silvio Guerra, Ecuador, 30:32
13. Francisco Bautista, Mexico, 30:34
14. Benjamin Maiyo, Kenya, 30:36
15. Kim Gillard, Australia, 30:56
16. Gabino Apolonia, Mexico, 31:00
17. Javier Guarin, Colombia, 31:03
18. John Henwood, New Zealand, 31:04
19. Abraham Assefa, Ethiopia, 31:06
20. Julian Berrio, Colombia, 31:13
21. Pedro Mora, Venezuela, 31:20
22. Cesar Gualotuna, Ecuador, 31:31
23. You Youngjin, Korea, 31:32
24. Brett Cartwright, Australia, 31:38
25. Ji Youngjun, Korea, 31:42
26. Jose Augusto Acierno, Mexico, 31:58
27. Martin Dent, Australia, 31:58
28. Andi Jones, Great Britain, 32:06
29. Javier Gomez, Costa Rica, 32:14
30. Jason Ward, Great Britain, 32:18
31. Andrew Norman, Great Britain, 32:23
32. Larryn Sanchez, Venezuela, 32:28
33. Eric Quiroz, Costa Rica, 33:29
34. Jefrey Perez, Costa Rica, 33:43
35. Yoo Sunghoe, Korea, 33:45
36. Freddy Alvarado, Venezuela, 33:54
Men’s Team
1. USA, $45,000 (includes $30,000 Olympic training funds)
2 8 9 = 19 Meb Keflezighi, Abdi Abdirahman, Alan Culpepper
2. Kenya, $10,000
1 6 14 = 21 Paul Koech, James Koskei, Benjamin Maiyo
3. Ethiopia, $7,000
3 5 19 = 27 Tekeste Kebede, Gudisa Shentama, Abraham Assefa
4. New Zealand, $6,000
4 10 18 = 32 Jonathan Wyatt, Michael Aish, John Henwood
5. Colombia, $4,000
7 17 20 = 44 William Naranjo, Javier Guarin, Julian Berrio
6. Ecuador, $3,000
11 12 22 = 45 Franklin Tenorio, Silvio Guerra, Cesar Gualotuna
7. Mexico, $2,000
13 16 26 = 55 Francisco Bautista, Gabino Apolonia, Jose Augusto Acierno
8. Australia
15 24 27 = 66 Kim Gillard, Brett Cartwright, Martin Dent
9. Korea
23 25 35 = 83 You Youngjin, Ji Youngjun, Yoo Sunghoe
10. Great Britain
28 30 31 = 89 Andi Jones, Jason Ward, Andrew Norman
11. Venezuela
21 32 36 = 89 Pedro Mora, Larryn Sanchez, Freddy Alvarado
12. Costa Rica
29 33 34 = 96 Javier Gomez, Eric Quiroz, Jefrey Perez
Women Individual
1. Madai Perez, Mexico, 34:24, $3500
2. Gladys Asiba, Kenya, 34:36, $2000
3. Dorota Gruca, Poland, 34:45, $1500
4. Angelica Sanchez, Mexico, 34:55, $1000
5. Victoria Klimina, Russia, 35:24, $800
6. Constantina Tomescu-Dita, Romania, 35:38, $700
7. Monika Trybulska, Poland, 35:43, $600
8. Eri Okubo, Japan, 35:45, $500
9. Bertha Sanchez, Colombia, 35:50, $400
10. Kaori Oyama, Japan, 35:51, $300
11. Emily Samoei, Kenya, 35:52
12. Martha Tenorio, Ecuador, 35:54
13. America Mateos, Mexico, 35:59
14. Elena Orlova, Russia, 36:11
15. Chika Horie, Japan, 36:13
16. Ramilya Burangulova, Russia, 36:19
17. Aurica Buia, Romania, 36:25
18. Edyta Lewandowska, Poland, 36:27
19. Iulia Olteanu, Romania, 36:32
20. Helen Lawrence, Great Britain, 36:44
21. Iglandini Gonzalez, Colombia, 36:52
22. Wilma Guerra, Ecuador, 37:17
23. Bev Jenkins, Great Britain, 37:28
24. Nicole Hunt, USA, 37:29
25. Katie Blackett, USA, 37:32
26. Nikole Johns, USA, 37:37
27. Sandra Ruales, Ecuador, 38:11
28. Mara Rosalind Yamauchi, Great Britain, 38:29
29. Anastasia Ndereba, Kenya, 38:45
30. Lina Arias, Colombia, 39:37
Women’s Team
1. Mexico, $15,000
1 4 13 = 18 Madai Perez, Angelica Sanchez, America Mateos
2. Poland, $10,000
3 7 18 = 28 Dorota Gruca, Monika Trybulska, Edyta Lewandowska
3. Japan, $7,000
8 10 15 = 33 Eri Okubo, Kaori Oyama, Chika Horie
4. Russia, $6,000
5 14 16 = 35 Victoria Klimina, Elena Orlova, Ramilya Burangulova
5. Romania, $4,000
6 17 19 = 42 Constantina Tomescu-Dita, Aurica Buia, Iulia Olteanu
6. Kenya, $3,000
2 11 29 = 42 Gladys Asiba, Emily Samoei, Anastasia Ndereba
7. Colombia, $2,000
9 21 30 = 60 Bertha Sanchez, Iglandini Gonzalez, Lina Arias
8. Ecuador
12 22 27 = 61 Martha Tenorio, Wilma Guerra, Sandra Ruales
9. Great Britain
20 23 28 = 71 Helen Lawrence, Bev Jenkins, Mara Rosalind Yamauchi
10. USA
24 25 26 = 75 Nicole Hunt, Katie Blackett, Nikole Johns
For more results, go to the race website at: www.bolderboulder.com