Where Your Dreams Become
Reality
Where Your Dreams Become
Reality
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Patrick Makau Dominates Healthy Kidney 10k But Ritz's Record Survives At the pre-race press conference for the Healthy Kidney 10k, pre-race favorite and half marathon sensation Patrick Makau said, "The course record (28:08) is not so hard." Makau found out the hard way that there is a reason only three people had previously broken 28:30 on the Central Park 10k course and no one has broken 28 minutes, it's not very easy to do, especially when you start off at near world record pace. Makau dominated the Healthy Kidney 10,000m from the gun (his first mile was 4:22 according to race organizers which put him on 27:08 pace, the fastest 10k ever run on the roads is Haile Gebrselassie 27:02 on a pancake flat course). He cruised through 5k in 13:51 and seemed to be well on his way to smashing Dathan Ritzenhein's 28:08 Central Park record and picking up the $20,000 bonus for doing so (first place itself paid a much more modest sum of $7,500). But the suicidal early pace and difficult rolling hills inflicted their damage during the second half of the race which Makau covered in 14:28, as he faded to 28:19. Makau's victory was never in doubt. He held on to the fourth fastest time ever on the course as Marilson Gomes Dos Santos finished second in 28:31 and Richard Kiplagat was third in 29:08. Early Pace (and the Hills) Took Its Toll He indicated the plan was not to run all alone. He said, "the first or second k(ilometers of a race) I usually see how my colleagues are fighting. If the pace is too slow I usually control (it). If the pace goes very strong, I usually hang in the back, but today I waited for the guys the first 400m, but I see they were going very slow, so I decided to control the pace... (My plan) was not to go (ahead and run alone), but to increase the pace. I was expecting them to close the gap and come work with me. When they failed to come I just go myself." No one went with Makau because the opening pace was too fast. The pace even took it's toll on Makau's pursuers who just tried to stay close. Richard Kiplagat ran slower this year than last (29:08 versus 28:41) but finished higher (3rd versus fifth). Richard said the fast opening pace caused everyone to slow down the second half. Kiplagat said "This year was a little tougher than last year... I ran 28:41 last year and it felt much easier than this year. This time we started going (much) faster. Patrick ran the first mile in 4:19, it was very fast. At 5k I was 14:10 (and on pace for ) 28:20, but unfortunately it was very tough running (the 2nd half)."
Makau did not seem too upset with missing out on the course record. He may have lost out on $20,000 but his future is very, very bright. He remained undefeated on the roads in 2008 and was grateful for his success. "I think my Lord for winning," he said. Makau is now off to the Kenyan training camp for the Olympic Trials where he is hoping to make the team at 10,000m (He said his personal best is only 28 minutes, but he primarily has been a half-marathon specialist until now) More Coverage: More
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Runner's World &
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