2013 UAE Healthy Kidney 10-K: Leonard Patrick Komon (27:58) Wins But Comes Up Short in Bid for $30,000 Course Record

Komon Slows After Running First Two Miles Both in 4:18; American Meb Keflezighi Returns To Racing and Finishes 9th (28:57)

By David Monti, with additional repoting by LetsRun.com.
(c) 2013 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved

NEW YORK (11-May) – After a furious start, Kenya’s Leonard Patrick Komon‘s attempt to break his own UAE Healthy Kidney 10-K record here this morning fizzled, and the world record holder had to settle for his second victory in three years, clocking 27:58.  Race organizers had put up a USD 30,000 bonus for the winner had he broken Komon’s 2011 record of 27:35.

Komon, who holds the world records for both 10-K and 15-K on the road, ran both of the first two miles in 4:18, immediately breaking open the race, and was alone through 5-K in 13:40 with a seven-second lead over his primary chaser, Uganda’s Moses Kipsiro, the three-time world cross medallist who was 4th i the 5000 at the 2008 Olympic and 2009 World champs.

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“Like a bullet,” Kipsiro said of Komon’s opening mile.

But the soaking humidity, wet streets from earlier rains, and Central Parks’ challenging hills began to take their toll on the Kenyan.  He slowed significantly in the second half, splitting the course’s certified 8-K mark in 22:18, then working hard in the uphill final two kilometers just to maintain his lead.  He crossed the finish line with a four-second advantage and collected the $25,000 first prize award, the largest of any 10-K in the world.

“I will get the record next year,” Komon said after event sponsors, the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates, said that they would raise the course record bonus to $50,000 for next year’s 10th edition of the race.

(l. to r.) Stephen Sambu of Kenya (3rd place), Leonard Patrick Komon (1st) and Moses Kipsiro (2nd) after finishing the 2013 Healthy Kidney 10-K (photo by Jane Monti for Race Results Weekly) (l. to r.) Stephen Sambu of Kenya (3rd place), Leonard Patrick Komon (1st) and Moses Kipsiro (2nd) after finishing the 2013 Healthy Kidney 10-K (photo by Jane Monti for Race Results Weekly)

Behind Komon, Kipsiro and former NCAA standout Stephen Sambu of Kenya sprinted for second place.  Both men were credited with a 28:02 finish time, but Kipsiro was clearly in front of Sambu who appeared to ease up just before the line.  Ethiopia’s 13:00/60:19 man Abera Kuma (28:18) and Australia’s Collis Birmingham (28:29), who was 8th at world cross country earlier this year, rounded out the top-5.

LetsRun.com additions: 2008 Olympic bronze medallist Edwin Soi, who ran 12:55 last year for 5000, was 6th (28:37).

American Meb Keflezighi returned to racing for the first time we think since his 4th place finish at the London Marathon. Keflezighi, who missed last months Boston marathon due to injury, was 9th in 28:57. Top American honors went to Ayale Feisa in 8th (28:53).

Showing how deep the field was Aussie Ben St. Lawrence, who won the Payton Jordan 10,000 at Stanford a few weeks ago in 27:37, was just 10th in 29:00.

Top 25 Results Below

Last Name First Name Sex/
Age
Bib Team City State Country Overall
Place
Gender
Place
Age
Place
Net
Time
5K
Split
Pace
per
Mile
AG
Time
AG
Gender
Place
AG %
Komon Leonard Patrick M25 1 NIKE Eldoret Kenya 1 1 1 0:27:58 0:13:39 04:31 0:27:58 3 96.04 %
Kipsiro Moses M26 3 PUMA Bukwo Uganda 2 2 2 0:28:02 0:13:46 04:31 0:28:02 4 95.79 %
Sambu Stephen M24 8 Tucson AZ Kenya 3 3 1 0:28:02 0:13:52 04:31 0:28:02 5 95.79 %
Kuma Abera M22 4 NIKE Addis Ababa Ethiopia 4 4 2 0:28:18 0:13:52 04:34 0:28:18 6 94.91 %
Birmingham Collis M28 10 NIKE Ballarat Australia 5 5 3 0:28:29 0:14:09 04:36 0:28:29 7 94.28 %
Soi Edwin M27 2 NIKE Kericho Kenya 6 6 4 0:28:37 0:13:52 04:37 0:28:37 8 93.84 %
Korir Leonard M26 5 NIKE Colorado Springs CO Kenya 7 7 5 0:28:44 0:14:09 04:38 0:28:44 10 93.46 %
Feisa Ayele M25 636 AODF New York NY United States 8 8 6 0:28:53 0:14:09 04:40 0:28:53 12 92.96 %
Keflezighi Meb M38 7 SKE Mammoth Lakes CA United States 9 9 1 0:28:57 0:14:09 04:40 0:27:46 2 96.70 %
St Lawrence Ben M31 6 NEWB Centennial Park Australia 10 10 1 0:29:00 0:14:09 04:41 0:28:51 11 93.08 %
Ngetich Eliud M19 61 New York NY Kenya 11 11 1 0:29:16 0:14:13 04:43 0:28:40 9 93.71 %
Robinson Brett M22 12 NEWB Ballarat Australia 12 12 3 0:29:38 0:14:42 04:47 0:29:37 13 90.69 %
Mack Bobby M28 9 REEB Raleigh NC United States 13 13 7 0:29:45 0:14:28 04:48 0:29:45 14 90.26 %
Assefa Dube Tesfaye M29 16 WSX New York NY Ethiopia 14 14 8 0:29:53 0:14:28 04:49 0:29:51 15 89.97 %
Girma Tesfaye M30 11 WSX New York NY Ethiopia 15 15 2 0:30:25 0:14:45 04:54 0:30:21 17 88.50 %
Grey Jon M25 21 TMIN Minneapolis MN United States 16 16 9 0:30:35 0:15:05 04:56 0:30:35 18 87.80 %
Thompson Christian M24 18 NJNY Elkins Park PA United States 17 17 4 0:30:39 0:15:22 04:57 0:30:39 19 87.61 %
Jefferson Fidele M35 68 WSX Flagstaff AZ United States 18 18 2 0:30:45 0:14:53 04:58 0:30:06 16 89.22 %
Wendimu Genbere Mulugeta M27 17 WSX Silver Spring MD Ethiopia 19 19 10 0:30:55 0:14:48 04:59 0:30:55 20 86.89 %
Tesfaye Kahsay Mikael M26 89 WSX Bronx NY Ethiopia 20 20 11 0:31:18 0:15:11 05:03 0:31:18 21 85.82 %
Bokan Tariku Aboset M31 58 WSX Washington DC Ethiopia 21 21 3 0:31:27 0:15:21 05:04 0:31:18 22 85.80 %
Saunders David M28 84 ATLA New York NY United States 22 22 12 0:32:37 0:16:00 05:16 0:32:37 24 82.34 %
Bartlett Peter M26 56 New York NY United States 23 23 13 0:32:57 0:16:21 05:19 0:32:57 28 81.52 %
Lhuissier Francois M34 378 CPTC New York NY France 24 24 4 0:33:16 0:16:14 05:22 0:32:44 27 82.03 %
Pinter Daniel M26 474 New York NY United States 25 25 14 0:33:25 0:16:21 05:23 0:33:25 32 80.36 %

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