24 FEBRUARY 2008: WORLD BEST 10K, PUERTO RICO

Lornah Kiplagat defended her title for a fifth consecutive win, and sixth overall, by edging out Mestawet Tufa writes Dave Kuehls. In the men's race, a last minute gaffe by Silas Kipruto cost him the win and a sub-28 minute clocking.

At 3km (9:06) Kiplagat led a line of seven contenders among whom were Turkey's Elvan Abeylegesse, Ethiopia's Elegayehu Dibaba and Tufa. The World Cross and World Road Running champion controlled the race from the front and gradually dropped the pretenders. At 5km (15:03) Kiplagat bounced along in her trademark orange socks but a woman a head shorter than her was not going away. Tufa stayed a step or two off Kiplagat's shoulder, out of sight but not out of mind.

Coming off the bridge, Kiplagat had discarded her sunglasses and appeared under strain. Passing over a highway overpass at 8km (24:40) Kiplagat surged but the Ethiopian came right back to her. It seemed she was biding her time to make a decisive move. At 9km Kiplagat surged again. Tufa went to the front to cover, and then slowed so that Kiplagat almost crashed into her. Apparently energized by the incident Kiplagat bolted into a 10m lead. "She wanted to slow me down. I realised that she had no power anymore and I went by her," said Kiplagat, who did not slow down.

In the men's race Deriba Merga, twice outkicked in very fast half marathon races last year, led from the gun and appeared to have the race in the bag until Kenya's Silas Kipruto made a furious charge.

Kipruto went by Merga about 400m out and seemed assured of a win and a fast sub 28-minute clocking, when he followed a motorcycle to the wrong side of a fence. He soon realized his mistake and back-tracked to get on the right side, but by then it was too late. Merga was already past and away to take the win.

Source: www.aims.org

MEN:
1  Deriba MERGA                   ETH  28:03
2  Silas KIPRUTO                  KEN  28:04
3  Wilson KIPSANG                 KEN  28:09
4  Wilson KIPROTICH               KEN  28:09
5  Linus MAIYO                    KEN  28:10
6  Samuel KOSGEI                  KEN  28:13
7  Demssew TSEGA                  ETH  28:24
8  Boaz CHEBOIYO                  KEN  28:25
9  Peter KAMAIS                   KEN  28:30
10 John KORIR                     KEN  28:41

WOMEN:
1  Lornah KIPLAGAT                NED  31:02
2  Mestawet TUFA                  ETH  31:12
3  Elvan ABEYLEGESSE              TUR  31:38
4  Dire TUNE                      ETH  31:46
5  Zhor EL KAMCH                  MAR  31:53
6  Linet CHEPKIRUI                KEN  32:07
7  Aselefech MERGIA               ETH  32:26
8  Luminta TALPOS                 ROM  32:27
9  Nataliya BERKUT                UKR  32:28
10 Lyudmila BIKTASHEVA            RUS  32:42