New York Road Runners – Rotich Smashes Record, Farah Surprises Favorite – Americans Goucher and Rupp both take third at NYC Half

New York, March 20, 2011—The 2011 NYC Half had just about every kind of excitement to be found in a road race: a course record and a major upset, sparkling debuts and inspiring comebacks, two new champions, two Americans on the podium, and some 10,000 satisfied finishers on a great day for racing and for celebrating New York City.

The morning was 37 degrees and clear. The lead packs, arguably the strongest ever assembled in both the men's and women's fields, were each 10 strong or more through the opening loop of Central Park. As the men reached the halfway point, defending champion Peter Kamais of Kenya tangled feet with young Oregonian track specialist Galen Rupp. Both fell hard; Rupp managed a shoulder-roll and was up quickly. "I just had to regain my composure," he said afterward. Within seconds he was back among the leaders, while Kamais lost 50 meters.

The men began to test one another as they left Central Park and headed down Seventh Avenue toward Times Square. Great Britain's Mo Farah, an Olympic track runner making his half-marathon debut, built a ten-meter lead before the group reeled him back in. Rupp, Farah's training partner in coach Alberto Salazar's Oregon Project, moved up next. Then the resurging Kamais fought his way to the front. But the odds-on favorite, ING New York City Marathon 2010 champion Gebre Gebremariam, covered each move, waiting to use the sprint finish that had won him the 2009 IAAF World Cross Country Championship and four major American road-race titles last year.

At 10 miles, Farah and Rupp accelerated down the West Side Highway and everyone but Gebremariam was dropped. With 400 meters left they were still three abreast, and then, inevitably, Gebremariam sprinted. Rupp couldn't respond, and Farah was five meters back; the race seemed over. But then Farah kicked hard and powered past Gebremariam to win by two seconds in 1:00:23, the third-fastest time in the race's history. Rupp took third with an excellent 1:00:30 debut performance.

Kara Goucher, the American Olympian returning to top-level racing after giving birth in September, ran amongst the leading women through Central Park, watching veterans like ING New York City Marathon 2010 champion Edna Kiplagat of Kenya and 2003 IAAF World Cross Country champion Werknesh Kidane of Ethiopia trade the lead. Caroline Rotich, a Kenyan with a relatively modest personal best of 1:10:23, ran calmly among them. She had trained at altitude in Santa Fe, NM, and was fitter than that time suggested.

Eight women turned onto Seventh Avenue together. Kiplagat led onto the West Side Highway, and then Rotich reached her side and they shifted to a new gear and were alone in front. Soon Rotich's new fitness became obvious: She ran the twelfth mile in 5:05, and Kiplagat fell away. Rotich smiled as her lead grew; she broke the tape in 1:08:52—faster by 1:31 than she'd ever run and a course record by 33 seconds. Goucher, finishing strongly, closed on Kiplagat near the finish; the Kenyan prevailed, 1:09:00 to 1:09:03.

Rotich was drained but happy afterward. "I knew I would have to be under my personal record here," she would say, "and I was." Goucher, preparing for the Boston Marathon, said she was pleased with her progress, "but I'm ready to win one. I'm tired of third."

Farah and Rupp were both beaming. "I'm in the best shape of my life," said Farah. "At ten miles, I said to Galen, 'There are only three of us left—let's go!'"

"We're great friends," Rupp added. "We help each other. But at the end it's every man for himself."

Their New York road-racing debuts could hardly have been better. "This is an unbelievable event," said Rupp. "I had high expectations, but this surpassed everything."

6th NYC Half-Marathon
New York, NY, Sunday, March 20, 2011

MEN
1) Mo Farah (GBR), 1:00:23, $20,000
2) Gebre-Egziabher Gebremariam (ETH), 1:00:25, $10,000
3) Galen Rupp (USA / OR), 1:00:30, $5500
4) Tesfaye Girma (ETH), 1:00:35, $3500
5) Peter Kamais (KEN), 1:00:46, $2500
6) Alistair Cragg (IRL), 1:00:49, $1500
7) Moses Kigen Kipkosgei (KEN), 1:01:19, $1000
8) Marilson Gomes Dos Santos (BRA), 1:01:23, $750
9) Shawn Forrest (AUS), 1:01:25, $600
10) Ezkyas Sisay (ETH), 1:01:56, $400
11) Dylan Wykes (CAN), 1:02:14, $300
12) Alejandro Suarez (MEX), 1:02:16, $250
13) Reid Coolsaet (CAN), 1:02:42, $200
14) Girma Tolla (ETH), 1:02:46, $100
15) Meb Keflezighi (USA / CA), 1:02:52, $100

WOMEN
1) Caroline Rotich (KEN), 1:08:52*, $20,000
2) Edna Kiplagat (KEN), 1:09:00, $10,000
3) Kara Goucher (USA / OR), 1:09:03, $5500
4) Shewarge Alene Amare (ETH), 1:09:25, $3500
5) Werknesh Kidane (ETH), 1:09:32, $2500
6) Jo Pavey (GBR), 1:09:33, $1500
7) Jessica Augusto (POR), 1:10:00, $1000
8) Olesya Syreva (RUS), 1:10:18, $750
9) Irvette Van Blerk (RSA), 1:10:56, $600
10) Madai Perez (MEX), 1:11:12, $400
11) Janet Cherobon-Bawcom (USA / GA), 1:11:38, $300
12) Adriana Pirtea (ROU), 1:12:03, $250
13) Aziza Aliyu (ETH), 1:12:47, $200
14) Fiona Docherty (NZL), 1:12:49, $100
15) Malika Mejdoub (MAR), 1:12:58, $100
*course record (previous record, 1:09:25, Mara Yamauchi (GBR), 2010)

Complete results, photos, video and more at: www.nyrr.org