Sammy Kitwara and Werknesh Kidane Claim Victories at 2011 AJC Peachtree Road Race
Press Release
July 4th, 2011
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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