Tesfaye Sendeku Running For Wounded Warrior Program Wins Army Ten Miler Over Robert Cheseret

By: Steve Nearman, Running USA
October 9, 2011

ARLINGTON, Va. - (October 9, 2011) - Tesfaye Sendeku sports an impressive elite resume.

This year alone, he has triumphed at the ING Miami Marathon, placed second in the America's Finest City Half Marathon and Dodge Rock 'n' Roll San Diego Marathon and grabbed sixth in the highly-competitive Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile.

On a weekend where he could earn a paycheck just about anywhere in America, he chose to race for free on Sunday at the nation's largest 10-mile footrace, the 27th Army Ten-Miler (not held in 2001). More than money, he had a different purposes in mind.

"I just went to win the race because I am going to participate in the Baltimore Marathon (in six days)," said Sendeku, who crossed the finish line in 47 minutes, 51 seconds. "I came to support the Army and the Wounded Warriors program. [Army Ten-Miler] has no prize money. It is more than the prize money. I've very glad to run for the Wounded Warriors." His team ran this year to honor David Wynne Francis, an Army veteran who passed away last month.

Sendeku ran away with this race early by putting 19 seconds between him and the field in just the second mile along the National Mall in Washington. Two 28-year-olds with the Army's World Class Athlete Program training at Fort Carson in Colorado Springs, CO - Robert Cheseret, brother of Bernard Lagat, and Augustus Maiyo, a Kenyan-turned-American - pursued Sendeku to no avail.

They finished second and third, respectively, with the same time of 48:21.

"We ran together until the last 50 meters," said Maiyo, who was outsprinted by Cheseret in his debut Army Ten-Miler.

The women's race was a nail-biter, with Tezata Dengera topping her two younger teammates with a strong kick in the last half mile. The 30-year-old Dengera, a Turkish citizen born in Ethiopia and residing in Washington, completed the distance in 56:35.

Dengera was more than happy to chill in a pack with teammates Serkalem Abrha-Biset and Shiferaw Tiringo-Getachew. The three exchanged the lead throughout, passing through five miles in 28:18 and 10 kilometers in 35:14 and heading for a 1-2-3 finish. American Amanda Rice kept contact for nine miles but dropped off the pace on the 14th Street Bridge when Dengera started to surge for the finish.

"I'm still tired from the marathon I ran two weeks ago in Montreal," the 24-year-old Abrha-Biset said, clocking 56:40.

"And I knew that," Dengera countered with a smile. "I ran the first half of the race pretty comfortable. It was according to the plan I made during training."

Tiringo-Getachew said she was happy with third in 56:44.

The Brazilian Army team again performed admirably, placing Franck de Almeida (4th in 48:46), Clodoaldo Da Silva (5th in 48:56), 2008 race champ Reginaldo Campos Jr. (7th in 49:11) and Cicero Da Rocha (8th in 49:21) in the top 10.

In the 40 and older division, Peggy Yetman of Leesburg, VA repeated as top female Masters in 1:00:01 and Edmund Burke of Burtonsville, MD took male Masters honors (52:57).

Some 23,300 starters and 21,890 finishers of the 30,000 entrants enjoyed a delightful morning with temperatures in the upper-50s, low-60s, dry and sunny.

26th Army Ten-Miler
Washington, DC, Sunday, October 9, 2011

MEN
1) Tesfaye Sendeku (ETH), 47:51
2) Robert Cheseret (CO), 48:21
3) Augustus Maiyo (CO), 48:21
4) Franck de Almeida (BRA), 48:46
5) Clodoaldo Da Silva (BRA), 48:56
6) Tariku Bokan (ETH), 49:08
7) Reginaldo Campos Jr. (BRA), 49:11
8) Cicero Da Rocha (BRA), 49:21
9) John Mickowski (CO), 49:37
10) Charles Ware III (IL), 49:46

WOMEN
1) Tezata Dengera (TUR), 56:35
2) Serkalem Abrha-Biset (ETH), 56:40
3) Shiferaw Tiringo-Getachew (ETH), 56:44
4) Amanda Rice (MD), 57:17
5) Erin Koch (MD), 57:48
6) Emily Shertzer (PA), 58:00
7) Kelly Calway (CO), 58:04
8) Emily Potter (NC), 58:23
9) Caitlin Chrisman (NC), 58:34
10) Meagan Neldo (NC), 58:56

Deeper results at: www.armytenmiler.com

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