Where Your Dreams Become Reality
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Where Your Dreams Become Reality |
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Kiwis Nick Willis and Kim Smith Win 2005 Manchester Road Race
New Zealanders swept the Manchester Road Race in Manchester, Conn., today, the first time that has happened in the 69 times the race has been run. Nick Willis, the former NCAA star with the University of Michigan, became the first man from New Zealand to finish the challenging 4.78 mile course at Manchester first, defeating Irishman and former NCAA rival Alistair Cragg by six seconds, 21:50 to 21:56. Vyacheslav Shabunin of Russia finished third in 22:07. Willis's finish time was about half a minute off of the course record of 21:19 set by two-time winner Phillimon Hanneck of Zimbabwe in 1995. Hanneck later became a U.S. citizen. The top U.S. finisher was Celedonio Rodriguez, the reigning NCAA Division II 10,000m champion from Adams State, who finished seventh. Kim Smith, the New Zealander who starred for nearby Providence College before turning professional a year ago, defended her title in a very swift 24:23, 37 seconds ahead of Irishwoman Mary Cullen. Tatyana Gladyr of Ukraine was third in 25:30, while the top U.S. finisher was miler Amy Mortimer in fourth place (25:38). Course record holder and 2003 Manchester champion, Emilie Mondor of Canada, was forced to drop out for the second year in a row, both times with ankle injuries. She dropped out at the three-mile mark. "I did the hardest (part) of the race, the long climb of the hill and the downhill but that part killed my leg to the point I could barely step on it," said Mondor in a statment posted on her website after the race. "My ankle is very big right now, to the point where we can't see the bones. It is so sad as I worked so hard in the last weeks and was totally ready for a great race. This race is very important for me. I was ready and without excuses." The race was held in cold conditions with some snow. *Top Results here
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