'07 champ repeats victory in '08 Half Marathon
PARKERSBURG— Ethiopian Alene Reta made it two-in-a-row here Saturday morning with a 32-second victory over Kenya's Orose Valentine in the 22nd News and Sentinel Half Marathon.
Reta, who was the race's runner-up in both 2005 and 2006, covered the 13.1-mile race in 1 hour, 2 minutes and 52 seconds — 27 seconds off the course mark of 1:02:25 set by Kenya's Steve Kogo in 1990.
Finishing in third was Kenyan Reuben Chebit (1:04:19) while the remainder of the top five included Tesfaye Girma (1:04:51) and American Steven Crane (1:05:32).
In the women's race 25-year old Kenyan Angelina Mutuku overcame a 300-yard deficit midway through the race to beat countrywoman Jane Muia to the finish tape.
Mutuku covered the race in 1 hour, 12 minutes and 48 seconds while Muia held on for second place with a time of 1:13:37. The remainder of the top five included a trio of Ethiopian runners — 24-year old Mamitu Dasku (1:13:56), 22-year old Teyba Naser (1:13:57) and 28-year old Alemtsehav Misganaw (1:14:59).
Winning the Men's Masters Division was 41-year old Gideon Mutisya of Eufaula, Ala. with a time of 1:09:32 while the women's Master's title went to 40-year old Susan Graham Gray of Greencastle, Pa. (1:22:43).
The Grand Masters Division saw a couple of new course records as 51-year old Thomas Dever of Terre Haute won with a time of 1:13:33 while Ruxton, Maryland's Lee Dipietro lowered the mark for the women with a clocking of 1:27:07.
The race is the national championship half marathon for the Road Runners Club Of America.
Winning the Half Marathon Walk races were Don Slusser of Monroeville, Pa., with a time of 2 hours, 13 minutes and 5 seconds and Quaker City, Ohio's Kathy Ervin in 2:17:21. |