(9-16-07) From Jim Estes, USATF - U.S. Olympians Dan Browne (Portland, Ore.) and Shalane Flanagan (Pittsboro, N.C.) took home the respective men's and women's titles at the USA 5K Championship Sunday morning. Browne's time of 13 minutes, 48 seconds was good for third overall in the Open men's race at the 18th CVS Caremark Downtown 5K, while Flanagan ran 15:26 to become the first U.S. woman to win the Open race at this event since USA Track & Field Hall of Fame member Lynn Jennings in 1994.
Eventual Open winner Simon Ndirangu of Kenya and countrymen Nelson Kiplagat, Boaz Cheboiywo and Richard Kiplagat led a pack of about 15 men through the first mile in 4:22. Approaching half-way, Pat Tarpy (Providence, R.I.) and Rod Koborsi (Washington, D.C.), moved to the front of the lead pack with Browne and Andrew Carlson (Minneapolis, Minn.) only a few steps behind.
Shortly after two miles, Browne, 32, began to make his way to the front of the pack and positioned himself for the win, but as the group made the final turn just before three miles Ndirangu and Richard Kiplagat made their break for the finish. Ndirangu pulled clear of Kiplagat to win by one second in 13:46. Browne's third place finish was good for his second USA 5K road title (also 1998) and his second USA title in two weeks. He won his third USA 20K title in New Haven, Conn. on Labor Day.
Following Browne as national runner-up was Koborsi in 13:50. Tarpy took third in 13:54, while Carlson and Jonathon Riley finished fourth and fifth in 13:57 and 13:59 respectively.
The women's race saw favorite Flanagan, in control from the start, motor through the first mile in 4:43. Passing two miles in 9:40, only Sara Slattery (Lafayette, Colo.), a 10,000 meter gold medalist at the 2007 Pan American Games, was within striking distance, but over the final mile, Flanagan, 26, continued to press to the finish for a 16 second win over Slattery.
2007 Notre Dame graduate Molly Huddle (Elmira, N.Y.) finished third, running 15:48 in her USA Running Circuit debut. Rounding out the top five were Rebecca Donaghue (State College, Pa.) and Amy Mortimer (Providence, R.I.) in 15:54 and 16:04 respectively.
The CVS Caremark Downtown 5K featured $30,000 in national championship prize money with $5000 to each U.S. champion and was the sixth stop on the 2007 USARC.
18th CVS Caremark Downtown 5K: USA Championship
Providence, RI, Sunday, September 16, 2007
MEN
1) Simon Ndirangu (KEN), 13:46, $3000
2) Richard Kiplagat (KEN), 13:47, $2000
3) Dan Browne (USA / OR), 13:48, $6000*
4) Rod Koborsi (USA / DC), 13:50, $3000
5) Nelson Kiplagat (KEN), 13:52
6) Boaz Cheboiywo (KEN), 13:53
7) Pat Tarpy (USA / RI), 13:54, $2000
8) Andrew Carlson (USA / MN), 13:57, $1500
9) Jonathon Riley (USA / WI), 13:59, $1000
10) Josh Moen (USA / IA), 14:03, $900
11) Max King (USA / OR), 14:03, $700
12) Aaron Aguayo (USA / AZ), 14:14, $500
13) Chris Swisher (USA / IN), 14:16, $300
14) Ryan Sheehan (USA / MI), 14:18, $100
*includes Open prize money
WOMEN
1) Shalane Flanagan (USA / NC), 15:26, $8000*
2) Sara Slattery (USA / CO), 15:42, $5000*
3) Meskerem Legesse (ETH), 15:45, $1000
4) Molly Huddle (USA / RI), 15:48, $2000
5) Rebecca Donaghue (USA / PA), 15:54, $1500
6) Amy Mortimer (USA / MA), 16:04, $1000
7) Sara Hall (USA / CA), 16:08, $900
8) Amane Gobena (ETH), 16:14
9) Emily McCabe (USA / NC), 16:15, $700
10) Melissa Cook (USA / TX), 16:16, $500
11) Kathy Newberry (USA / VA), 16:23, $300
12) Carrie Messner-Vickers (USA / CO), 16:24, $100
*includes Open prize money
More results at: CVSdowntown5K.com
