Kiplagat Three-Peats for Women By Dave Kuehls, Running USA wire
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - (February 26, 2006) - Ryan Hall's debut on the international road race circuit at the World's Best 10K was a learning experience for the 2005 Stanford grad. For one thing, he was out with the leaders. For another, he was out with the leaders.
"I went out too fast," said the Team Running USA athlete. "But I felt really good. We came through in like 2:35 thru the thousand. I felt really great. It was the easiest 2:35 I have ever run in my life. But it started to catch up to me by 3K. It was just too fast for me for a 10K right now."
Hall, 23, from Big Bear Lake, Calif. was the lone American male elite in a deep international field which crossed the Teodoro Moscoso Bridge in San Juan twice Sunday evening. Kenya's Wilson Kiprotich set a course record 27:44 and pocketed $30,000. Nine other runners - all Kenyan - broke 29 minutes. Hall, running in 86 degree heat - more than 60 degrees warmer than last week at the USA Cross Country Championships where he won the 12K national title - held together for a sweat-drenched 29:25 and 13th place.
"I was actually happy that I could somewhat regroup [after fading from the fast early start] and run decent, because going out that hard I could have totally exploded," he said. "I was running with [2004 ING New York City Marathon Champion] Hendrik Ramaala for a while, mid-race, then he got away from me and I couldn't close the gap. And after 6K, I was mostly all by myself."
Hall is set to run with the big boys again at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships April 1-2 in Fukuoka, Japan. His race Sunday, he said, taught him something to take with him on the road. "I wasn't suffering, it was just more of an early tactical mistake on my part," he said. "I just can't go out like that. But, hey, I stuck my nose in it and learned something. That was a goal for today."
In the women's race, Lornah Kiplagat of The Netherlands easily defended her race title for the second straight year as she beat former countrywoman Susan Chepkemei of Kenya by over a minute, 30:50 to 32:08.
9th World's Best 10K
San Juan, PUR, Sunday, February 26, 2006
MEN
1) Wilson Kiprotich, Kenya, 27:44*, $30,000
2) Gilbert Okari, Kenya, 28:04, $12,000
3) Samuel Wanjiru, Kenya, 28:09, $8000
4) William Chebon, Kenya, 28:15, $6000
5) Patrick Ivuti, Kenya, 28:38, $4000
6) Linus Maiyo, Kenya, 28:39, $3000
7) Reuben Chebill, Kenya, 28:40, $2500
8) John Korir, Kenya, 28:44, $2000
9) Samuel Rongo, Kenya, 28:49, $1500
10) Robert Cheruiyot, Kenya, 28:56, $1000
U.S.
13) Ryan Hall, USA/CA, 29:25
*course record (previous record, 27:47, John Korir (KEN), 2004)
