Where Your Dreams Become
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Where Your Dreams Become
Reality
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Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Dazzles the Las Vegas StripCarlsbad 5000 Champion Bekana Daba Runs 1:01:40 in Half-Marathon Debut Race Press Release Las Vegas, NV December 6, 2009 A momentous, entertainment extravaganza featuring two white Bengal tigers, Vegas showgirls, skydivers and a 15 minute fireworks show greeted more than 27,600 runners at the start line of the inaugural Rock n Roll Las Vegas Marathon and Half Marathon, powered by Zappos.com for the benefit of the Crohns and Colitis Foundation of America. For the first time in Las Vegas marathon history, the entire Strip was closed in both directions for the event.
The professional women set off at 5:56 am, 19 minutes ahead of the professional men in a Battle of the Sexes competition for a $10,0o0 first prize bonus. 25-year-old Caroline Rotich of Kenya emerged victorious in dramatic fashion with a winning time of 2 hours, 29 minutes, and 47 seconds. Rotich made up a 23 second gap over the final two miles to catch long-time race leader Alevtina Ivanova of Russia. Rotich made the winning pass at 2:26:50 into the race. Less than 3 minutes later she crossed the finish line as champion, earning $25,000 for the victory.
This was the biggest win of my career so far, said Rotich, who passed the halfway mark 75 seconds behind Ivanova and Alice Timbilili of Kenya. Rotich then reeled off a negative second half split of 1:12:33.
At 20 miles they were far away from me I decided to run my own race, explained Rotich. At 25 miles I thought, you have to go, you can win!
The win caps a banner year for Rotich, who so far in 2009 has run personal bests at 10k, 10 miles, and the half-marathon. For the last eight months she has been living in Santa Fe, New Mexico, training with the AmeriKenyan Running Club, coached by 2000 U.S. Olympic triathlete Ryan Bolton.
The mens marathon was won by another Kenyan, Christopher Toroitich. His time was 2 hours, 15 minutes and 15 seconds. Toroitich, 25, won the 2007 Detroit Marathon, and finished third at the 2008 Country Music Marathon in Nashville. Here in Las Vegas he ran alone over the final 8 miles after fellow-Kenyan Matthew Koech fell off the pace. It was a disappointing marathon debut for Koech, who dropped out of the race at the 19-mile mark.
Once we hit ten miles I thought I could win, and when the other guys were not responding I said, ok, if they catch me it will have to be at the finish line, said Toroitich, who ran side-by-side with Koech, a sub-60:00 half marathoner, for 18 miles. I was not afraid of him because the marathon is a different matter than the half marathon.
2005 P.F. Chang's Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon champion Terefe Yae of Ethiopia out-sprinted his countryman Assefa Tesfaye to claim second place by one second in a time of 2:16:42. The top American male finisher was Stephen Hass, a former Big Ten 5,000m champion and a three-time All- American at the University of Indiana. He finished fifth with a time of 2:18:45, good enough to qualify him for the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon.
21-year-old Ethiopian Bekana Daba won the mens half-marathon by over a minute in 1:01:40, a new Nevada state record and the sixth fastest half-marathon run in the U.S. this year. He won the Carlsbad 5000 in April and owns a 5,000m PR on the track of 12:59.
It was a great race, said Daba, who will defend his road race title at the 25th Anniversary of the Carlsbad 5000 on April 11, 2010. I really liked the course on the Strip, it was very entertaining. Californias Fernando Cabada was the top American finisher in the half-marathon with a fifth place time of 1:04:56. His sub-1:05 performance automatically qualified the former Country Music Half-Marathon champion for the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon. Cabada used this race as a tune up as he prepares for the P.F. Changs Rock n Roll Marathon in January.
Ethiopian Werknesh Kidane, an eight-time medalist at the World Cross Country Championships, won the womens half-marathon in 1:10:55. Americans took three of the top five spots in the race, led by Hanson-Brooks Distance Project standout Desi Davila. Davila, who represented Team USA at this summers IAAF World Track & Field Championships in Berlin, finished second in 1:12:14. Claudia Bacque of Chicago, Illinois took third place in 1:16:22, and Arizonas Sally Meyerhoff finished fifth in 1:16:41. Meyerhoff, the 2009 U.S. 25k Road champion, will run next at the P.F. Changs Rock n Roll Arizona Marathon.
For the first time the entire half marathon was conducted on the Las Vegas Strip adding to the excitement for the 20,000 plus competitors, said Toni Reavis, who announced the race live on KLAS-TV in Las Vegas with Olympians Ed Eyestone and Juli Henner. The marathon shared the first 10 miles on the Strip, then had a natural turnaround at twenty miles. The final six miles was downhill on Hacienda, allowing the marathoners to attack what is usually the most difficult stretch in any marathon.
Runners from all 50 states and 39 countries participated in the event. The unprecedented race course looped around the world-famous Welcome to Las Vegas Sign and was highlighted by the Strips renowned attractions including the Treasure Island pirate ship, Mirage volcano and Bellagio fountains. The race featured over 300 running Elvi, 85 couples getting married in front of the Paris Casino, along with live bands at every mile of the course.
The second annual Rock n Roll Las Vegas Marathon and Half Marathon is set for December 5, 2010. For more information, please visit www.runrocknroll.com.
Photos (credit www.photorun.net) 21-year-old Ethiopian Bekana Daba ran the fastest half-marathon in Nevada history http://las-vegas.competitor.
Caroline Rotich of Kenya won the inaugural Rock n Roll Las Vegas Marathon http://las-vegas.competitor.
Inaugural Rock n Roll Las Vegas Results Name, Age, Country, Time, Prize
Men Marathon 1. Christopher Toroitich, 28, Kenya, 2:15:15, $15,000 2. Terefe Yae, 28, Ethipoia, 2:16:42, $8,000 3. Assefa Tesfaye, 25, Ethiopia, 2:16:43, $4,000 4. Augustus Kavutu, 32, Kenya, 2:18:06, $2,000 5. Stephen Haas, 26, USA, 2:18:45, $2,000* *Includes $1,000 as top American finisher
Women Marathon 1. Caroline Rotich, 25, Kenya, 2:29:47, $25,000^ 2. Alevtina Ivanova, 34, Russia, 2:30:05, $8,000 3, Serkalem Abrha, 22, Ethiopia, 2:36:26, $4,000 4. Adanech Zekiros, x, Ethiopia, 2:39:19, $2,000 5. Jane Kibii, 25, Kenya, 2:40:12. $1,000 ^Includes $10,000 Battle of the Sexes Bonus
Men Half Marathon 1. Bekana Daba, 21, Ethiopia, 1:01:40, $3,000 2. Stephen Muange, 26, Kenya, 1:03:11, $1,750 3. Teodoro Vega, 33, Mexico, 1:03:13, $1,000 4. Edward Tabut, 25, Kenya, 1:04:28, $750 5. Fernando Cabada, 27, USA, 1:04:56, $500
Women Half Marathon 1. Werknesh Kidane, 28, Ethiopia, 1:10:55, $3,000 2. Desi Davila, 26, USA, 1:12:14, $1,750 3. Claudia Bacque, 33, USA, 1:16:22, $1,000 4. Hyvon Ngetich, 24, Kenya, 1:16:31, $750 5. Sally Meyerhoff, 25, USA, 1:16:41, $500
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