39th Annual New Balance Falmouth Road Race Winners
Published on Sunday, August 14, 2011
August 14, 2011
For Immediate Release
Contact: Sue Smith 508-540-7000
sue.smith@falmouthroadrace.com
American Magdalena Lewy Boulet
Wins Women’s Divison of the
39th Annual New Balance Falmouth Road Race
Rotich and Lewy Boulet – Male and Female Winners
Olinger finishes as First American Male
Schabort Wins Third Falmouth Wheelchair Title
Falmouth, Mass. – For the first time since Jennifer Rhines won in 2003, an American, Magdalena Lewy Boulet, 38, of Oakland, Calif., bested the women’s field with a time of 36:58. With that performance, Lewy Boulet scored a $20,000 payday; $10,000 for first places in both the overall and American divisions. Lucas Rotich, 21, of Kenya finished on top in the men’s division in 31:37, four seconds over fellow countryman Micah Kogo, 25. At last weekend’s Beach to Beacon 10k, the results were reversed, with Kogo’s nine-second win over Rotich.
Cloudy skies, light winds off the beach and temperatures in the low 70s greeted the field of 10,696 official starters running the scenic seven-mile course from Woods Hole to Falmouth Heights Beach.
A pack of four, Lewy Boulet, Diane Nukuri-Johnson, 26, of Burundi, four-time Falmouth winner, Catherine Ndereba, 38, of Kenya, and American, Janet Cherobon Bawcom, 32, of Atlanta, Ga., went through the first mile in 5:07. At mile two with a split of 10:18, the pack dropped Cherobon Bawcom. The remaining women traversed the course with unofficial mile splits of 15:43 (three miles), 21:02 (four miles), and a five-mile time of 26:23. At the six-mile mark with a time of 31:39, Lewy Boulet put in her surge. “I decided I had to commit right now,” and commit she did, finishing in a time of 36:58. Second-place finisher, Nukuri-Johnson, who finished in 37:13, attempted to match the surge, but as she said after the finish, “I tried to go with her, but just didn’t have it, I decided to hold my place.” Third and four place finishers, Ndereba (37:24) and Cherobon Bawcom (37:37) employed the same place holding strategy.
A six-mile breakaway marked the men’s division. At the first mile 4:38 split, the twenty-man pack included Rotich, Kogo, two-time Falmouth finisher, Edward Muge, 28, of Kenya, course record holder, Gilbert Okari, 31, of Kenya, and Americans Brian Olinger, 25, of Columbus, Ohio., Adbi Abdirahman, 34, of Tuscon, Ariz., and Chris Barnicle, 24, of Newtonville, Mass. At the 9:07 two-mile split, the pack dwindled to six. From the three-mile split of 13:35, four men remained, Rotich in green and Kogo in white, running shoulder to shoulder just ahead of Olinger in white and Muge in green who were doing the same. The two pairs passed four-mile mark in 18:03 and the five-mile in 22:34 and were seen talking to each other as they ran stride for stride. Rotich made his move at the 10k mark of 28:05 and never looked back.
When asked what was being discussed between them, Rotich who was making his Falmouth debut, said that he was getting advice from Kogo, the 2007 Falmouth champion. That advice proved valuable in the win. Muge put in his own surge to finish third in 32:02 to Olinger’s 32:16. Olinger, a steeplechase specialist who has taken time off from the sport due to a plantar injury and who also made his Falmouth debut, took home fourth place money of $1,500 plus the $10,000 first place American purse. He credited both running stride for stride with Muge as well as the incredible crowd support along the course as contributors to his success.
In the master’s division, Colleen De Reuck, 47, from Boulder, Colo., defended her title in 39:12 and finished 16th overall. James Kosgei, 42, of Kenya also defended his title on the men’s side and finished 34th overall in 34:41.
Krige Schabort, 47, of Cedartown, Ga., Falmouth winner in 2008 and 2009 as well as course record holder, notched his third win in 24:16 over eight-time Falmouth champion, Craig Blanchette, 43, of Battle Group, Wash., (26:41) and four-time winner Tony Nogueira, 43, of Glen Ridge, N.J., (26:56). Jessica Galli, 27, of Savoy, Ill., recorded her sixth win on the women’s side in 31:57.
Once again Olympian and three-time Falmouth winner Bill Rodgers, age 63, of Sherborn, Mass.; two-time winner, as well as Olympic Marathon Gold and Silver Medalist, Frank Shorter, age 63, of Boulder, Colo.; and Joan Benoit Samuelson, 54, of Freeport, Maine ran the scenic course. The legendary father-son team, Dick and Rick Hoyt celebrated their 32nd Falmouth finish.
About Falmouth Road Race
The New Balance Falmouth Road Race was established in 1973 and has become one of the premier running events of the summer season. Each year the race draws an international field of Olympians, elite athletes and recreational runners out to enjoy the scenic 7-mile seaside course. The non-profit Falmouth Road Race organization is dedicated to promoting health and fitness for all in its community. Proceeds from the race each year support youth athletic programs in the town of Falmouth and other nonprofit community groups.
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Visit www.falmouthroadrace.com
Sue Smith
New Balance Falmouth Road Race
office - 508-540-7000
cell - 407-744-5727
