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Men’s field for Half Marathon toughest ever

August 20, 2010
August 20, 2010 - By JIM BUTTA, jbutta@newsandsentinel.com

PARKERSBURG-When putting together the men's elite field for the 24th annual The Parkersburg News and Sentinel Half Marathon race director Chip Allman had to ask himself two questions.

Would it be better to see three-time champion Alene Reta make history by becoming the race's first four time winner? Or would it be better to put together the toughest field ever for the Road Runners Club of America National Championship?

"In the five years that I have been doing this, this is the toughest field I've seen," said Allman. "(Alene) Reta has to be considered the favorite. He's just that good of a runner.

"But, with the field we've assembled, it wouldn't surprise me if someone beat him."
Reta, who has become a fixture of the 13.1-mile race since it became the RRCA championship, cruised to a 46-second victory over Kenyan Kennett Kiptoo a year ago, winning with a time of 1 hour, 4 minutes and 15 seconds-more than two minutes off of his winning time in 2007 (1:02:39) and nearly two minutes slower than his winning time in 2006 (1:02:52).

"He just knows when and where to surge on the course," explained Allman. "He really wasn't pushed last year and that explains his time."

That should be the case at 8 a.m. on Saturday as the men's field of 36 elites is composed of 15 athletes which have covered the half marathon distance in 65 minutes or less. Five have posted times under 63 minutes.

Topping that group is 43-year old Kenyan Gideon Mustisya-the Masters championship in 2009 with a time of 1:11:57-who has a personal best of 1 hour and 1 minute in the 13.1-mile race. Right on his heals is 33-year old countryman Samuel Ndereba (1:01.50) while 26-year old Ethiopian Fikadu Lemma has posted a 1:02 in the distance.

Two other Kenyans, 35-year old Lazarus Nyakeraka and 33-year old Jared Abuya, have personal bests of 1:02:07 and 1:02:59, respectively. Nyakeraka runs out of Monterrey, Mexico, and Abuya calls Manassa, Va., home during the running season.

"We ended up with about 10 more elites than I really wanted, but when you see those kinds of times, you want to bring them in so that you can have the toughest field you can have," added the race director.

But, the runner Allman thinks will give Reta the toughest challenge is 31-year old Kenyan James Boitt.

"He (Boitt), from everybody I've talked to, can really run. If he can stay up in that lead pack over the first two-thirds of the race, then he could prove to be very tough to beat down the stretch."

Boitt, who has run a personal best of 2 hours, 15 minutes and 15 seconds, is coming off of a fourth place effort at the 2010 CDI Back in Shape 5K in bloomington, Minn., where he covered the distance in 14 minutes and 33 seconds.
Leading the American contingent will be 25-year old Jeffrey Eggleston. The RRCA's Roads Scholar for 2010, Eggleston has run a personal best of 1:03:58 in the half marathon. He will be joined in the field by 28-year old Josh Ordway, who was the third overall American in last year's race, and 29-year old University of Charleston head cross country and track coach Jason Pyles.

The last time that an American runner has crossed the Market Street finish line ahead of the pack occurred in 2001 when Colorado-native Dan Browne beat the field with a time of 1 hour, 3 minutes and 55 seconds. Kenyans claimed the title from 2002-2006 while Reta carrying the Ethiopian flag ahead of the pack since then.

"It (beating Reta) can be done," said Allman. "It hasn't been done in three years, but that is because Reta is a very intelligent runner and understands that this course is a little tougher than it looks."

Racing begins at 7:50 a.m. when the Wheelchairs start. Ten minutes later the more than 1,000 runners and walkers in the half marathon will get under way followed at 8:10 by more than 700 competitors in the 2-mile race.

Runners and walkers can pick up their packets, and visit the runners' expo, from 2 until 9 p.m. at the Parkersburg Municipal Building. An all-you-can-eat Pasta dinner will be served from 5-9 p.m. at the St. Francis Xavier Hall located near the finish line on Market Street.

There will be no race day registration of the half marathon or two-mile race.

Article Photos

File Photo
Ethiopian Alene Reta (1) will be looking to re-write the history book when he competes in The Parkersburg News and Sentinel Half Marathon on Saturday morning. The 28-year old could become the first-ever four time winner of the race with a victory.

 
 

 

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