Sammy Kitwara and Werknesh Kidane Claim Victories at 2011 AJC Peachtree Road Race

Press Release
July 4th, 2011

Sammy Kitwara and Werknesh Kidane Claim Victories
at the 2011 AJC Peachtree Road Race
Benjamin True Captures First USA Men's 10 km Championship Title

ATLANTA, July 4, 2011 - The professional field at the 2011 AJC Peachtree Road Race proved strong as Kenyan Sammy Kitwara and Ethiopian Werknesh
Kidane took home victories at the 42nd running of the event, with finish times of 28:05 and 31:23 respectively.  Kitwara, who also earned top honors at the 2009 Peachtree, was eligible for the Professional Road Racing Organization's (PRRO) championship and took home an additional $10,000 bonus bringing his total Peachtree earnings to $25,000.

"We knew we had a great field of competitors going into this year's race and they didn't disappoint, with an exciting finish in the Open Men's race and four Americans in the top 10," said Tracey Russell, Race Director for the AJC Peachtree Road Race and Executive Director of the Atlanta Track Club.  "With 60,000 participants, we had the largest field in Peachtree history and are happy to report a successful event."

Kitwara, 24, and fellow Kenyan Mathew Kisorio, 22, (28:07) dominated the race from the start.  Kisorio, who was running his first Peachtree, pushed the pace early on, but Kitwara's knowledge of the course benefited him as he pulled ahead at the end for a tremendous finish. "My strategy was to go out and win," said Kitwara following the race.

On the women's side, Kidane, 30, broke away early and maintained her lead throughout the race.  Kenyan Alice Timbilili, 28, (31:48) and Ethiopian Belainesh Gebre, 23, (31:59) came in second and third respectively.

Benjamin True of Hanover, NH (28:28) was the first American to cross the finish line, finishing fifth overall and claiming his first USA Men's 10 km Championship victory.  True used his superior strength and power to come up on early leader, Brian Lee Olinger (28:35), and break away from the pack at the finish.  "I just tried to stay in contention the whole way through," said True, who was running his first Peachtree.  "I knew that if I was there for the last couple hundred meters, I had a good shot at it."

In the Masters' races, Vyacheslav Shabunin, 41, of Russia took the men's title with a time of 31:19, while Atlanta resident and 10th overall finisher in the women's race, Stephanie Herbst-Lucke, 44, claimed Top Master's Female honors with a time of 33:29.

The morning kicked off with some exciting finishes in the Shepherd Center Wheelchair Division of the AJC Peachtree Road Race, where Krige Schabort of Cedartown, Ga. (19:47) and Tatyana McFadden of Champaign, Ill. (24:46) came in first in the open men's and women's races.

Open Men
Place   Name    Country Age     Time
1       Sammy Kitwara   KEN     24      28:05
2       Mathew Kisorio  KEN     22      28:07
3       Ridouane Harroufi       MAR     29      28:27
4       Peter Kamais    KEN     34      28:28
5       Benjamin True   USA     25      28:28
6       Ed Moran        USA     30      28:29
7       Shadrack Kosgei KEN     26      28:32
8       Abdi Abdirahman USA     34      28:35
9       Brian Lee Olinger       USA     28      28:35
10      Juan Carlos Romero      MEX     33      28:37
11      Stephen Muange  KEN     29      28:50
12      Christopher Landry      USA     25      28:52
13      Reuben  Mwei    KEN     25      28:54
14      Josphat Boit    KEN     27      29:05
15      Patrick Smyth   USA     24      29:06

Open Women
Place   Name    Country Age     Time
1       Werknesh Kidane ETH     30      31:23
2       Alice Timbilili KEN     28      31:48
3       Belainesh Gebre ETH     23      31:59
4       Aheza Kiros     ETH     26      32:34
5       Buzunesh Deba   ETH     23      32:40
6       Adriana Nelson  USA     31      32:49
7       Madai Perez     MEX     31      32:57
8       Alevtina Ivanova        RUS     36      33:16
9       Caroline Kirui  KEN     20      33:24
10      Stephanie Herbst-Lucke  USA     44      33:29
11      Lilian Mariita  KEN     23      34:01
12      Stephanie Pezzullo      USA     29      34:14
13      Colleen De Reuck        USA     47      34:29
14      Lidia Simon     ROU     37      35:03
15      Rebecca Walter  USA     27      35:21

USA Men's 10km Championship
Place   Name    Country Age     Time
1       Benjamin True   USA     25      28:28
2       Ed Moran        USA     30      28:29
3       Abdi Abdirahman USA     34      28:35
4       Brian Lee Olinger       USA     28      28:35
5       Christopher Landry      USA     25      28:52
6       Patrick Smyth   USA     24      29:06
7       Scott Bauhs     USA     25      29:15
8       Ian Burrell     USA     26      29:16
9       Ryan Hall       USA     28      29:16
10      Aaron Braun     USA     24      29:17
11      Joseph Chirlee  USA     31      29:18
12      Josh Moen       USA     29      29:20
13      Justin Young    USA     31      29:26
14      James Carney    USA     32      29:36
15      Bobby Mack      USA     26      29:43

US Women
Place   Name    Country Age     Time
1       Adriana Nelson  USA     31      32:49
2       Stephanie Herbst-Lucke  USA     44      33:29
3       Stephanie Pezzullo      USA     29      34:14





Masters Men
Place   Name    Country Age     Time
1       Vyacheslav Shabunin     RUS     41      31:19
2       Tracy Lokken    USA     45      33:03
3       Mbarak Hussein  USA     46      33:06

Masters Women
Place   Name    Country Age     Time
1       Stephanie Herbst-Lucke  USA     44      33:29
2       Colleen De Reuck        USA     47      34:29
3       Ramilya Burangulova     RUS     49      36:08

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