Famiglietti, Yoder Begley Win Close Races at USA 15K Championships

"Fam" also takes Equalizer Bonus at 32nd Gate River Run
From Jim Estes, USATF

Courtesy Running USA Wire
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - (March 14, 2009) - Olympians Anthony Famiglietti (Knoxville, Tenn.) and Amy Yoder Begley (Portland, Ore.) each won close races for the respective men's and women's national titles Saturday at the USA 15K Championships in Jacksonville, Fla. Famiglietti used a last-second burst of speed to hold off Tim Nelson (Portland, Ore.), running 43 minutes, 36 seconds to win the men's race by one second, while Yoder Begley kicked past Katie McGregor (St. Louis Park, Minn.) in the final 400 meters to win the women's race by six seconds in 49:51. This marks the 16th year that the national championship has been hosted by the Gate River Run, the country's largest 15K.

The professional women's race started the day under cool, cloudy conditions as Yoder Begley, McGregor, Emily Brown (Minneapolis, Minn.) and Elva Dryer (Gunnison, Colo.) led more than 50 of the top U.S. women through the opening miles.

By six miles, the race was down to three contenders with Yoder Begley, McGregor and Brown running stride-for-stride through eight miles when McGregor attempted to break her competitors as they started across the challenging Hart Bridge towards the finish. However, Yoder Begley, 31, remained close, waiting until the finish was in sight to move to the front and claim her first USA 15K title.

Brown easily held on for third in 50:03 as Dryer and Melissa White (Rochester Hills, Mich.) completed the top-five, running 50:40 and 50:45 respectively.

The U.S. men's race saw a sizable pack of nearly 30 men pass the first mile in 4:39, though Famiglietti, 30, was not to be seen in the front of the pack until a decisive surge to the lead at three miles. By the time the Tennessee grad hit 5K in 14:31, Famiglietti had ten meters on the chase pack that included fellow 2008 Olympians Ian Dobson (Mammoth Lakes, Calif.) and Jorge Torres (Boulder, Colo.) as well as USA Cross Country runner-up Nelson, Fasil Bizuneh (Flagstaff, Ariz.) and 2004 Olympian and 2000 USA 15K champ Dan Browne (Beaverton, Ore.).

As Famiglietti rhythmically rolled through the next five miles, he steadily built a lead of nearly 20 seconds, but with the only major hill on the course going over the Hart Bridge, Nelson, Bizuneh and Browne began to cut into Famiglietti's lead. At the top of the bridge, former Wisconsin Badger Nelson pulled clear of Bizuneh and Browne and began his charge to catch Famiglietti.

By the time he passed the nine mile mark, Famiglietti only held a five second lead over Nelson and as the pair hit the final flat stretch to the finish Nelson surprised Famiglietti by pulling even with about 100 meters to go, but it was Famiglietti that had one more gear as he shot to the finish for his first USA 15K crown and fourth USA road title overall.

Bizuneh held on for third, running 43:52, with Browne taking fourth in 43:56. Torres got past Dobson to take fifth by one second in 44:05.

At the 32nd Gate River Run, a total prize purse of $58,000 was on the line with Famiglietti and Yoder Begley earning $12,000 each for their U.S. titles.

Famiglietti also won the Equalizer Bonus of $5000 that is awarded to the first male or female to cross the finish line, as the top-seeded women started 5 minutes before the men with "head start" based on the time differential between men's and women's U.S. 15K records: 42:22 for the men (Todd Williams, 1995) and 47:15 for the women (Deena Drossin, 2003), both set on the Gate River Run course.

32nd Gate River Run 15K: USA Championship
Jacksonville, FL, Saturday, March 14, 2009

MEN
1) Anthony Famiglietti (TN), 43:36, $17,000*
2) Tim Nelson (OR), 43:37, $5000
3) Fasil Bizuneh (AZ), 43:52, $3000
4) Dan Browne (OR), 43:56, $2000
5) Jorge Torres (CO), 44:05, $1000
6) Ian Dobson (CA), 44:06, $900
7) Brett Gotcher (AZ), 44:09, $800
8) Jason Lehmkuhle (MN), 44:09, $700
9) Andrew Carlson (AZ), 44:11, $600
10) James Carney (CO), 44:13, $500
*includes $5000 Equalizer Bonus

WOMEN
1) Amy Yoder Begley (OR), 49:51, $12,000
2) Katie McGregor (MN), 49:57, $5000
3) Emily Brown (MN), 50:03, $3000
4) Elva Dryer (CO), 50:40, $2000
5) Melissa White (MI), 50:45, $1000
6) Colleen De Reuck, 44, CO, 50:49, $900
7) Kate O'Neill (CA), 50:53, $800
8) Rebecca Donaghue (PA), 51:05, $700
9) Sally Meyerhoff (AZ), 51:08, $600
10) Lindsey Anderson (UT), 51:38, $500

Full results at: www.Gate-RiverRun.com and video race highlights at: www.usatf.org/events/2009/USA15kmChampionships/video.asp