Amy Rudolph Running Her 14th Manchester Road Race

By David Monti
(c) 2010 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved

(24-Nov) -- She was 22, just a few months out of Providence College, and had only run in two road races in her life when Amy Rudolph lined up at the start of the Manchester Road Race on Thanksgiving Day in 1995.  Some of America's best runners lined up with her, including Olympians Judi St. Hilaire and Cathy O'Brien.

"I feel like it was so long ago," Rudolph said speaking on her husband's mobile phone today as the couple arrived in Manchester for tomorrow's race.  "It seems impossible."

Rudolph, who had been the NCAA 1500m champion in 1994, won easily, covering the hilly 4.748 mile course in 24:43 and finishing 19 seconds in front of St. Hilaire.  She enjoyed the event, but was unaware at the time that she was just beginning a new Thanksgiving tradition that would help define her career --which included competing in two Olympic Games and three IAAF World Championships-- for the next 15 years.

Since winning in her first appearance in Manchester in 1995, Rudolph has run the race a total of 13 times, notching five victories (1995-'97, 2000 and 2002), and has made the podium 12 times.  She only missed the race twice, in 2005 and 2007, and the only time she failed to crack the top-3 she finished sixth.  What was it about Manchester which brought her back so many times?

"I really think you have those places you run in your career that are special," Rudolph said.  "It's hard to put into words.  Last year I ran beyond my fitness; I was here, it was Manchester.  It's kind of the familiarity with it.  I haven't had many bad races here.  Going into it you know what to expect."

What Rudolph, now 37, is expecting, is something much different than before.  No longer could she and husband Mark Carroll, a two-time Manchester champion himself, take the easy 85 mile (137 km) drive from Providence to Manchester since the couple moved to Auburn, Ala., last January.  Carroll is the head cross country and assistant track coach at Auburn University, and Rudolph is serving as a volunteer assistant coach and is also working in the office of a physical therapy practice.  She's still training, but not like she used to.

"This year I'll be more running with the masses, not really racing it, but running it," Rudolph explained.  "This is something I kind of got roped into by my husband.  If I break into the top ten I'll be excited."

Rudolph and Carroll have never let the race hurt their family gatherings on Thanksgiving, a uniquely American holiday where families come together to feast on turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce.  Whenever she would race at Manchester, her parents would drive up from their home in Pennsylvania to Providence on Wednesday, then come to the race on Thursday to cheer.  After the race, it was back to Providence to celebrate the holiday together.

"We never really got home (to Pennsylvania) for Thanksgiving anyway," Rudolph said.  "My Mom and Dad would come here, then we would go home and cook dinner."

At the front of tomorrow's race, the 74th edition of the event, defending men's champion Haron Lagat of Kenya will square off against last year's runner-up Patrick Smyth, 2008 Manchester champion Martin Fagan of Ireland, and former University of Colorado star Brent Vaughn.  The top woman entered is Sally Kipyego of Kenya, the 2008 NCAA cross country champion who ran for Texas Tech (Lagat coached her there).  Her key rivals should be defending champion Alemtsehay Misganaw of Ethiopia, miler Amy Mortimer, and accomplished 5000m runners Rebecca Donaghue and Frances Koons.

Not having to contend for victory could bring other pleasures for Rudolph.  "I think tomorrow I'll be able to take in more of the people who support the race, instead of being in race mode and trying to win the thing," she observed  "I think I'll appreciate it more.  I'm looking forward to that tomorrow.  I haven't been at a road race in a while.  No pressure; it will be back to the roots of running.  It's all about relationships that you make."

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