Scenic Falmouth to host Worlds Best road racers Sunday

FALMOUTH, Mass. – Cape Cod’s Scenic Cigna/Falmouth Road Race will host some of the World’s Best Road runners this upcoming Sunday morning. At the tradional 10am start, the tempertures should mimic those of last Saturday’s Beach to Beach 10km in Cape Elizabeth, Maine at around 20C/68F with hopefully less humidity. Locals are hoping that 2004 Olympic marathon silver medalists Meb Keflezighi (USA) first time Cigna/Falmouth road race can become the first American male to win the historic event since 1988, when Mark Curp was first along this coastal race.
Keflezighi will be making his debut in Falmouth, but he has plenty of international experience. Born in Eritrea in East Africa, he moved with his family to California when he was 12. He became a U.S. citizen in 1998 and starred for four years at UCLA. His impressive credentials include the silver medal in the marathon at the Athens Games, when he became the first American man to win an Olympic medal in the event since Frank Shorter’s silver in Montreal in 1976. Keflezighi has finished second and third in the ING/New York City Marathon and was third in the 2006 BAA/Boston Marathon.
With the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials scheduled for November 3, in New York, Keflezighi will be looking for a fast Falmouth finish to be a springboard to his fall training.

Keflezighi who has finished fourth the last 2 weekends, will be challenged by the world’s fastest 10km road racer in 2006, Micah Kogo(KEN), with his 27.07. Kogo is coming off a 7.38, 7th place finish 3000m on Tuesday evening in Stockholm. Following Kogo across the Atlantic from in the DN Galan event is American steeplechaser, Steve Slattery(USA) who missed his PR by one second with a 8.18. Three time winner, John Korir(KEN), who DNF’d at last weekends‘ Nike NYC Half Marathon hopes to get back to his winning ways. A Kenyan male has won 14 of the last 16 Cigna/Falmouth Road Races. Tom Nyariki(KEN) 8th last weekend, William Chebon(KEN) 5th last weekend, and Nicholas Kamayka(KEN) 6th last weekend will attempt to help Kogo and Korir extend Kenya’s winning ways on Cape Cod. They will be challenged by 2006 European Cross Country Champion, Andrea Lalli(ITA), EL Mabchaour(MOR), Stephen Ndirangu(KEN) and John Yuda(TAN) who finished 3rd last weekend.

Catherine Ndereba(KEN), Olympic Silver Medalist and World Marathon Champion will attempt to win her fourth Cigna/Falmouth title. Ndereba will be rebounding off a 2nd place sprint finish at the Nike NYC Half Marathon and will face last weekend’s Beach to Beacon 10km Champion, Lumitina Talpos(ROM. ) They will next race on the last day of the 2007 World Outdoor Championships in Osaka at the marathon, where Ndereba won a silver medal in 2005. While Ndereba was involved in a sprint finish in NYC, Talpos was an early surprise leader and held off Ukraine’s Natalya Berkut(UKR) by 8 seconds in Cape Elizabeth a day earlier. They will face a very formidable and familar field as Beach to Beacon 10km favourite, Yamir Wude(ETH) who had won 2 US road races in July finished a disappointing 3rd and hopes to return to the podium. Galina Aleksandrova(RUS) was 6th in Cape Elizabeth and hopes to hold off 2 very strong american woman. 2007 Pam Am Games 10km Gold Medalist, Sara Slattery(USA) and newly wed, Alicia Craig-Shay(USA) will be favourites along with Blake Russell(USA), and Olympian, Kate ONeil(USA)

On Saturday evening, The Falmouth Mile will again be fun and exciting. On the woman’s side, 1500m special Christine Wurth-Thomas(USA) will test herself prior to Osaka against fellow Osaka teammates, defending NCAA 5km Champion Michelle Sikes and NCAA Steeplechase champion, Anna Willard(USA).
Former NCAA 1500 champion, Anne Shadle(USA) and Amy Moritmer(USA) will also contest. On the men’s side, many time NCAA 5km Champion, Chris Solinsky(USA) will compete against local favourite, Jonathon RileyUSA) who may be added to the USA 5km team for Osaka.