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James Mwangi Breaks Course Record at Fifth Annual Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon Presented by SunTrust
Women's Champion Victorious in Half Debut

Race Press Release

VIRGINIA BEACH, VA, Sept. 4, 2005 -- It was a double victory for Kenyan James Mwangi at the fifth annual Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon presented by SunTrust. In winning and setting a course record, not only did the 22-year-old earn the $12,000 first place check and an additional $3,000 course record bonus, but his 1:00:42 winning time earned him a berth on his country's team for the 2005 World Half Marathon Championships.

Women's champion Werknesh Kidane of Ethiopia made her half marathon debut a success, winning the title in 1:09:48. Breaking away from an eight-woman pack at the 10-mile mark, the 2004 Olympian blistered the final 5K in 15:58, an average of 5:08 per mile. Kidane finished fourth in the 10,000-meters at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.

The men's pack of 16 was on course record pace thru 10K before 22-year-old Kenyan James Kwambai surged at 7.5 miles, opening up a 20-meter lead. It wasn't until mile 10 that eventual winner Mwangi reeled in his countryman. A berth on the World Championship team in the balance, Mwangi pressed for the finish in search of the sub-61:00-minute time. Kwambai finished second in 1:01:05 and countryman Yusuf Songoka was third at 1:01:56.

"I knew I was going to win when we turned onto the boardwalk," said Mwangi, who held a six-meter lead at that point.

Defending champion Nuta Olaru of Romania and countrywoman Mihaela Botezan led the women thru aggressive opening miles of 5:13 and 5:17, well under course record pace. But as the course unfolded, the race began to turn tactical, with eight women from five different countries still together thru Camp Pendleton and back along Atlantic Ave.

As the 10-mile mark approached, Kidane moved into position and as they crossed the mile marker, she blasted away. A 5:10 mile was followed by a 5:03, as the leader increased her margin and ran alone down the finishing stretch on the boardwalk.

"Before I ran the half marathon I thought it was too long," said Kidane. "Now I think it's really good. The weather is perfect to me. It was nice to have the cheering along the course. Everything is perfect today."

Kenyan Salina Kosgei was second at 1:10:03 and Ikuko Nagao of Japan was third at 1:10:13. Nagao's countrywoman, Naoko Takahashi, the gold medalist in the marathon at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, was fourth in 1:10:30.

Chad Johnson of Indianapolis won the wheelchair race in a time of 51:05.

Over 17,000 entrants joined the elite fields on a sunny but cool day along the Atlantic shoreline, including 500 from The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team In Training program who raised a total of $1.1 million (net) for this year's event. Sixteen cheer squads and over 20 bands lined the course to entertain and motivate the runners. The evening capped off with a headliner concert featuring Vertical Horizon and Journey.

Top Finishers Male

Place Name Age Country Time Prize money
1 James Mwangi 22 Kenya 1:00.42 $15,000*
2 James Kwambai 22 Kenya 1:01:05 $7,000
3 Yusuf Songoka 25 Kenya 1:01:56 $5,000
4 John Korir 29 Kenya 1:02:22 $3,000
5 Mohammed Amyn 27 Morocco 1:02:30 $2,000
6 Christopher Cheboiboch 27 Kenya 1:02:36 $1,500
7 Moses Kemboi 27 Kenya 1:02:45 $1,000
8 John Gwako 27 Kenya 1:02:55 $750
9 Yoichiro Akiyama 25 Japan 1:02:59 $600
10 James Koskei 36 Kenya 1:03:18 $500

* Includes $3,000 course record bonus (old record: 1:01:27, Martin Lel, Kenya, 2003)

Top Finishers Female

Place Name Age Country Time Prize money
1 Werknesh Kidane 23 Ethiopia 1:09:48 $12,000
2 Salina Kosgei 27 Kenya 1:10:03 $7,000
3 Ikuko Nagao 23 Japan 1:10:13 $5,000
4 Naoko Takahashi 29 Japan 1:10:30 $3,000
5 Asha Gigi 31 Ethiopia 1:10:39 $2,000
6 Mihaela Botezan 29 Romania 1:10:45 $1,500
7 Nuta Olaru 35 Romania 1:11:06 $1,000
8 Alevtina Ivanova 30 Russia 1:11:14 $750
9 Miho Ichikawa 33 Japan 1:11:33 $600
10 Luminita Talpos 32 Romania 1:11:41 $500


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