Courtesy Running USA wire Drossin Destroys U.S. 15K Record and Four-Peats at Gate River Run Keflezighi Wins Third-Straight USA 15K Title By Charlie Mahler
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - (March 8, 2003) - It was windy at the Gate River Run 15K today, but 2000 Olympian Deena Drossin was the one blowing things away. The 30-year-old Mammoth Lakes, Calif. resident lopped 57 seconds off the U.S. 15K record she established here last year, and earned her fourth-straight national title at the distance (the first female or male to do so). Her time of 47:15 puts her over a minute ahead of the second-fastest American all-time, Lisa Weidenbach who clocked 48:28 in 1989. Only Elana Meyer has run faster for the distance; the South African ran 46:57 in 1991 (the world record). Meb Keflezighi, 27, also of Mammoth Lakes, won his third-straight men's 15K title by shaking fellow U.S. Olympian Abdi Abdirahman two-thirds of the way into the race. Keflezighi clocked 43:31 to Abdirahman's 43:59. Race temperatures were in the mid-50s and skies were cloudy, but a rude wind met the runners on the open stretches of the course. "It's a little faster than I thought I would run, actually, but it's nice to be able to surprise yourself like that. The wind was tough, but I guess it's what a year of hard and smart work will do," Drossin the 14-time USA Champion in track, cross country and road racing explained. The anticipated duel with Marla Runyan, who finished second in 48:43, never materialized as Drossin went through five miles in 25:11 and was under World Record pace until the foot of the River Run's signature feature, the high-arching Hart Bridge. Following Drossin and Runyan were Colleen De Reuck, 3rd in 49:30, Sara Wells of Team USA Minnesota, fourth in 50:07, Kim Fitchen-Young, fifth in 50:39 and Amy Rudolph of Team USA California was sixth in 50:40. Drossin earned $10,000 for her victory plus an additional $6000 for the course and U.S. records. Drossin's 15K record suggests some tantalizing possibilities for the next race on her schedule: the World Cross Country Championships in Lausanne, Switzerland on March 29. Drossin was runner-up to marathon World Record-Holder Paula Radcliffe at World Cross in 2002, but the British star recently announced she would not defend the title in 2003 in order to focus on London. So will Drossin win the World title? "I'm gonna die trying," the Team USA California athlete only half-joked. Like Runyan's performance, Keflezighi's championship three-peat, fine as it is, was forced to fight for attention on what turned out to be Deena's day. In a fashion similar to last year, Keflezighi broke away from Abdirahman in the sixth mile of the race, opening up a five second gap at 10K - passed in 29:00 - that later grew to 11 seconds at the base of Hart Bridge, just prior to the 8 mile mark. Chad Johnson, the 2001 USA 25K Champion, finished third in 44:39, Olympian Nick Rogers was fourth in 44:39, Portland's Dave Davis was fifth in 44:45 and Clint Wells of Boulder, Colorado was sixth in 44:45. Pondering his three straight wins in Jacksonville, Keflezighi found it hard not to compare himself with his friend and Team USA California teammate, Drossin. "At the elite level, it's my first three-peat. It's very exciting," the Eritrean-born UCLA graduate offered. "I'm trying to follow in Deena's footsteps, but she keeps raising the bar though, you know, breaking her own American record." 26th Gate River Run 15K: USA Championship Jacksonville, FL, Saturday, March 8, 2003 MEN 1) Meb Keflezighi, CA 43:31 $10,000 2) Abdi Abdirahman, AZ 43:59 $4,000 3) Chad Johnson, OR 44:39 $3,000 4) Nick Rogers, OR 44:39 $2,000 5) Dave Davis, OR 44:45 $1,000 6) Clint Wells , CO 44:45 $900 7) Mike Donnelly, OR 44:50 $800 8) Ryan Shay, MI 45:22 $700 9) Chris Seaton, NC 45:25 $600 10) Eddy Hellebuyck, NM 45:45 $1,500* 11) Matt Thull, WI 46:08 12) Chris Lundstrom, MN 46:12 13) Keith Dowling, VA 46:16 14) David Morris, NM 46:29 15) Henry Dennis, OH 46:39 *includes masters prize money WOMEN 1) Deena Drossin, CA 47:15# $16,000* 2) Marla Runyan, OR 48:43 $4,000 3) Colleen De Reuck, CO49:30 $3,000 4) Sara Wells, MN 50:07 $2,000 5) Kim Fitchen-Young, CA 50:39 $1,000 6) Amy Rudolph, RI 50:40 $900 7) Milena Glusac, CA 51:28 $800 8) Sylvia Mosqueda, CA 51:31 $700 9) Jenny Crain, OR 51:37 $600 10) Magdalena Lewy, CA 51:46 $500 11) Nicole Jefferson, CO52:27 12) Turnena Johnson Lane, GA 52:34 13) Jeanne Hennessy, NY 52:44 14) Dana Coons, VA 52:48 15) Rachel Sauder, AL 53:00 #U.S. record; previous record 48:12 by Deena Drossin at Gate River Run on March 9, 2002; *includes $6000 bonus for course and U.S. records For more results and information, visit the race website at: http://www.1stplacesports.com # # # Ryan Lamppa
