Gebremariam, Chepkurui Capture AJC Peachtree Road Race Titles

Moran USA Men's 10K champion; more than 50,000 finish Atlanta 4th of July tradition
By Tracy Lott
Running USA Wire
ATLANTA - (July 4, 2010) - The 2010 AJC Peachtree Road Race professional field, on Sunday, The Fourth of July, did not disappoint as Ethiopian Gebre Gebremariam and Kenyan Lineth Chepkurui took home victories at the 41st running of the 10K event with fast finish times of 27 minutes, 56 seconds and 30:51 respectively. Chepkurui, who also earned top honors at the 2009 Peachtree, was eligible for the Professional Road Racing Organization's (PRRO) Championship and also took home an additional $10,000 bonus bringing her total Peachtree earnings to $25,000.

"Going into this year's event we knew we had a great field of competitors, and the excitement at the finish was the best we've seen in years," commented Tracey Russell, Race Director for the AJC Peachtree Road Race and Executive Director of the Atlanta Track Club. "We lucked out with some amazing weather this morning which helped contribute to some stellar performances among our top athletes and plenty of smiles on the faces of the event's 55,000 participants."

In the closest men's finish in recent AJC Peachtree Road Race history, Gebremariam, 25, narrowly edged out runner-up Peter Kirui, 22, of Kenya (also 27:56). Gebremariam and Kirui battled it out in the last stretch of the race after they finally pulled away from the lead pack of eight. The top 6 men ran 28 minutes or faster for 10K or 6.2 miles.

On the women's side, which was also dominated by Kenyans and Ethiopians, Chepkurui, 22, broke away early and maintained that lead throughout the race. "I didn't want to worry about anyone [else]...I just wanted to run my own race," stated Chepkurui after claiming her second straight Peachtree victory and fifth 2010 major U.S. road race title. Countrywomen Alice Timbilili (31:12) and Edna Kiplagat (31:18) finished second and third respectively.

Ed Moran of Williamsburg, Va. was the first American to cross the finish line finishing 10th overall, running a personal best of 28:19 and earning his first national title at the USA Men's 10K Championship. "I was just trying to stay within myself and go with whatever my body was going to give me," commented Moran, the runner-up in the 10,000 meters at last week's USA Outdoor Track & Field Championship. 2010 USA 15K champion Mo Trafeh was the national runner-up (28:29).

In the Masters (40 and over) races, Mbarak Hussein, 45, of Albuquerque, N.M. took the men's title with a time of 29:47, while Atlanta resident and 14th overall finisher in the women's race, Stephanie Herbst-Lucke, 44, claimed top U.S. female, top Masters female and top Georgian female honors with her 33:20.

41st AJC Peachtree Road Race: USA Men's 10K Championship
Atlanta, GA, Sunday, July 4, 2010

MEN
1) Gebre Gebremariam (ETH), 27:56, $15,000
2) Peter Kirui (KEN), 27:56, $7500
3) Lelisa Desisa (ETH), 27:58, $3000
4) Shadrack Kosgei (KEN), 27:59, $2500
5) Terefe Maregu (ETH), 27:59, $2000
6) Wilson Kipsang (KEN), 28:00, $1500
7) Wesley Korir (KEN), 28:07, $1000
8) Sammy Kitwara (KEN), 28:11, $800
9) Abreham Cherkos (ETH), 28:14, $700
10) Ed Moran (USA/VA), 28:19, $10,600
11) Stephen Tum (KEN), 28:21, $500
12) Ridouane Harroufi (MAR), 28:25, $400
13) Julius Kogo (KEN), 28:26, $300
14) Daniel Kipkoech (KEN), 28:27, $250
15) Mo Trafeh (USA/CA), 28:29, $6200
Other U.S.
19) Brent Vaughn (CO), 28:46, $4000
21) Ian Burrell (AZ), 28:51, $3000
22) James Carney (CO), 28:57, $1500
23) Andrew Carlson (AZ), 28:58, $1000
24) Bobby Mack (NC), 29:07, $900
25) Jorge Torres (CO), 29:09, $800
26) Mike Sayenko (WA), 29:09, $600
27) Josh Moen (MN), 29:10, $700
29) Fasil Bizuneh (AZ), 29:14, $500
30) James Strang (AR), 29:15, $400
31) Stephen Furst (NC), 29:20, $300
32) Aaron Braun (CO), 29:22, $200
33) Patrick Smyth (MN), 29:27, $100

MASTERS MEN (40+)
1) Mbarak Hussein, 45, USA/NM, 29:47, $1500
2) Dennis Simonaitis, 48, USA/UT, 31:18, $1000
3) Eric Ashton, 42, USA/SC, 31:29, $500
4) Paul Aufdemberge, 45, USA/MI, 32:15, $300
5) Gideon Mutisya, 43, KEN, 32:31, $200

WOMEN
1) Lineth Chepkurui (KEN), 30:51, $25,000*
2) Alice Timbilili (KEN), 31:12, $7500
3) Edna Kiplagat (KEN), 31:18, $3000
4) Kim Smith (NZL), 31:23, $2500
5) Dire Tune (ETH), 31:25, $2000
6) Belainesh Gebre (ETH), 31:33, $1500
7) Shewarge Amare (ETH), 32:04, $1000
8) Mamitu Daska (ETH), 32:05, $800
9) Bezunesh Bekele (ETH), 32:05, $700
10) Buzunesh Deba (ETH), 32:10, $600
11) Genoveva Kigen (KEN), 32:28, $500
12) Tufa Tigist (ETH), 32:57, $400
13) Irene Limika (KEN), 33:18, $300
14) Stephanie Herbst-Lucke, 44, USA/GA, 33:20, $2750
15) Kate O'Neill (USA/CA), 33:25, $700
Other U.S.
19) Alissa McKaig (NC), 34:22, $300
*includes $10,000 PRRO Championship bonus

MASTERS WOMEN (40+)
1) Herbst-Lucke, see above
2) Anzhelika Averkova, 41, UKR, 34:06, $1000
3) Ramilya Burangulova, 48, RUS, 34:43, $500
4) Elena Orlova, 40, RUS, 35:39, $300
5) Kathleen Jobes, 40, USA/PA, 35:48, $200

Deeper results at: www.atlantatrackclub.org

Video highlights and more of the USA Men's 10K Championship are available in cooperation with RunnerSpace.com at: www.USARunningCircuit.com