Kastor, Abdirahman Again Win USA 10,000m Titles By Charlie Mahler, Running USA wire

INDIANAPOLIS - (June 21, 2007) - Under warm, humid conditions, the veterans, Olympic Marathon bronze medalist Deena Kastor and two-time Olympian Abdi Abdirahman won USA titles at 10,000 meters Thursday night at the AT&T USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

Team Running USA's Kastor broke away from the rest of the women's field after only three laps of the 25 circuit race and rolled to an unchallenged victory in 31 minutes, 57 seconds. Kara Goucher was runner-up in 32:33.80, while Team USA Minnesota's Katie McGregor fought off a resurgent Alicia Craig for third in 32:44.69.

"I didn't feel like I was alone out there," the five-time USA 10,000 meter champion commented post-race. "I was judging the other women the entire time. The women that were on the starting line with me are threatening and on any day it was anyone's race and I'm just happy I was able to pull off the win. It's a very sweet victory for me to get back on the track and win this race."

The top-three placers in each race earn the right to represent the USA at the IAAF World Track and Field Championships in Osaka, Japan in late August. Kastor, 34, who lives and trains in Mammoth Lakes, Calif. did need to run the sub-32:00 "B" qualifying standard for the event at Indy.

"I do want to go to Osaka and run the 10,000 meters," affirmed Kastor who also holds the U.S. 10,000m record (30:50.32).

While Kastor's solo effort resembled a cycling time-trial, the tussle for the two remaining coveted Osaka spots was a classic runners' battle. McGregor led the chase pack that included Molly Huddle and Kastor teammate Kate O'Neill for a long stretch until Goucher upped the pace and broke clear. McGregor fought a back-and-forth battle with Craig until finally pulling away in the final circuit.

The men's 10,000, as a whole, was a tangle between the best of the nation's long distance stars. After the early laps had winnowed the contenders down to Abdirahman, 2004 Olympian Dathan Ritzenhein, road and marathon phenom Ryan Hall and young Oregon star Galen Rupp, the contenders traded the lead with Abdirahman and Ritzenhein doing the bulk of the work.

"We didn't plan anything," Abdirahman said of the lead-switching. "We just wanted to keep an honest pace; we just wanted to keep running fast. When he took the lead, I passed him and said, 'I'm going to take the lead for two laps and he said, oh, okay.'"

In the end, when Abdirahman took the lead a final time and torched the last 800 meters to win his third 10,000 crown in 28:13.51, it was too much for a tiring Ritzenhein who then lost second place to Rupp, 28:23.31 to 28:31.88. The former Colorado star, who just crossed the line ahead of fellow former Buffalo Alan Culpepper (28:34.01), needed to be helped off the track afterwards.

Abdirahman, Rupp and Ritzenhein all have Osaka qualifiers, but Abdirahman, at least, needs to make his World Championships decision based on his Olympic Marathon Trials plans. The Trials take place this November in conjunction with the ING New York City Marathon.

USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships
World Championships and Pan Am Games qualifier
Indianapolis, IN, Thursday, June 21, 2007

Men's 10,000m
1) Abdi Abdirahman (AZ), 28:13.51, $4000
2) Galen Rupp (OR), 28:23.31, $3000
3) Dathan Ritzenhein (OR), 28:31.88, $2000
4) Alan Culpepper (CO), 28:34.01, $1000
5) Jorge Torres (CO), 28:36.85, $500
6) Jason Hartmann (CO), 28:46.76
7) Ryan Hall (CA), 28:51.77
8) Ryan Shay (MI), 28:54.34
9) Tim Nelson (WI), 28:55.85
10) Dan Browne (OR), 29:02.98

Women's 10,000m
1) Deena Kastor (CA), 31:57.00, $4000
2) Kara Goucher (OR), 32:33.80, $3000
3) Katie McGregor (MN), 32:44.69, $2000
4) Alicia Craig (AZ), 32:50.63, $1000
5) Kate O'Neill (CA), 33:08.18, $500
6) Molly Huddle (NY), 33:09.27
7) Emily McCabe (NC), 33:34.05
8) Sara Slattery (CO), 33:49.59
9) Tara Storage (OH), 33:52.73
10) Jenny Crain (WI), 34:01.93