Goucher Wins USA Women\’s 10 Mile Title at Twin Cities – By Charlie Mahler, Running USA wire

MINNEAPOLIS – (October 5, 2008) – In a battle of between runners with Minnesota ties, Osaka 10,000 meter bronze medalist Kara Goucher out-ran her 2007 World Championships teammate Katie McGregor to win her first USA road racing title at Sunday morning's USA Women's 10 Mile Championship.

The race was held in conjunction with the Medtronic TC 10 Mile and Twin Cities Marathon.

Goucher, a native of Duluth, Minn., broke McGregor's 2006 course record of 53 minutes, 51 seconds with her 53:16 clocking. McGregor, a five-time winner of the TC 10, finished a distant second in 55:04 at the 10th edition.

Goucher, 30, who scored a pair of top 10 finishes in the 5000 and 10,000 meters at the Beijing Olympics, ran stride for stride with McGregor for the race's first three miles before pulling away – inadvertently it seemed – from McGregor.

"We both took fluids at the first station and I moved out to the side of the road, thinking she would come back, but she didn't," explained Goucher who resides in Portland, Ore. "So I was like, 'Well, now I'm here. I'm going to make my move three miles early.'"

Goucher's coach, marathon great Alberto Salazar, had counseled his charge not to lead until the second half of the race. The 2008 Olympic Trials 5000 meter champ gradually built a lead that stretched to 600 meters before the race finished in downtown St. Paul.

Both Goucher and McGregor plan to compete in the ING New York City Marathon on Sunday, November 2. The race will mark Goucher's debut for the distance; McGregor finished 9th at New York 2006 in 2:32:36. Both had hoped to run a bit faster today than they did.

"I'm trying to just stay positive and get back to a couple good [training] weeks here and hopefully take away from this the feeling that I could run this pace for a marathon," said McGregor, a member of Team USA Minnesota.

Goucher, who also won $10,000 as national champion, leaves her home state feeling positive.

"I feel confident," she said. "I'm going to hit a big mileage week this week; I ran against Katie who finished 9th in the New York City Marathon two years ago. Sure, it would have been great to run faster – it's always nice to run faster – but this gives me confidence."

Kelly Liljeblad of Boulder, Colo. finished third in the race in 57:06; Nicole Hagobain of Hadley, Mass. was 4th in 57:20; Annie Bersagel, an American citizen studying as a Fulbright scholar in Norway, was 5th in 57:34.

Josh Glaab of Superior, Colo. won the men's Medtronic TC 10 in 50:29.

10th Medtronic TC 10 Mile: USA Women's Championship
Minneapolis / St. Paul, MN, Sunday, October 5, 2008

1) Kara Goucher (OR), 53:16*, $10,000
2) Katie McGregor (MN), 55:04, $6000
3) Kelly Liljeblad (CO), 57:06, $4000
4) Nicole Hagobain (MA), 57:20, $2000
5) Annie Bersagel (CO), 57:34, $1000
6) Sopagna Eap (OR), 58:17, $750
7) Melisa Christian (TX), 58:20, $500
8) Melissa Todd (MO), 58:50, $275
9) Brandy Erholtz (CO), 58:55, $250
10) Alissa McKaig (IN), 59:09, $225
*course record (previous record, 53:51, Katie McGregor, 2006)

Complete results at: MTCMarathon.org

Source: Running USA