Lelisa Desisa Sets 60:34 Course Record at 2013 BAA Half Marathon but Stephen Sambu is Big Winner on Day with $100,000 Payday
By Chris Lotsbom, with additions by LetsRun.com
(c) 2013 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved.
BOSTON (13-Oct) — 2013 Boston Marathon champ Lelisa Desisa returned to Boston today and won the 13th running of the B.A.A. Half Marathon in a course record 60:34, but the big winner on the day was Kenya’s Stephen Sambu who finished third in 60:41 as with that he won $100,000 as the winner of the B.A.A. Distance Medley and its $100,000 prize.
BOSTON MARATHON CHAMPION DESISA RETURNS TO SET COURSE RECORD
Lelisa Desisa has found a home in Boston. In April, the Ethiopian 23-year-old won the 117th Boston Marathon, then returned two months later to place second at the B.A.A. 10-K. Here today, Desisa claimed yet another victory in the Massachusetts capital city, setting a new course record of 1:00:34 to win the B.A.A. Half Marathon.
“When I win I am happy,” said the quiet Desisa. “I like Boston. I like the people of Boston. And I am one of the people of Boston.”
Desisa used his adoration for the city –and the support shown from its citizens– to win the 13.1-mile contest through the Jamaica Plain and Dorchester neighborhoods.
Coming into the race, Desisa –the only man entered to have run under 60:00 for the half-marathon– was battling a head cold. He wouldn’t let any illness get in between him and the $6,000 first place prize, though.
Sticking with a large lead group through the opening miles, Desisa was building up as much energy as he could for the race’s final stretch. At ten miles –hit in 46:04– he was right where he wanted to be: among a pack. Joining him were Kenyans Daniel Salel, Stephen Sambu, Sam Chelanga, and Lanni Rutto. Notably missing was Ethiopian Gebre Gebremariam, who stopped between miles six and seven.
“The three or four guys from Kenya are very fast so I follow them. Then after ten miles I ran to win and ran as fast as possible,” he said.
Though Desisa was increasing his pace, he couldn’t quite shake Kenyans Salel and Sambu.
For Salel and Sambu, more than just the B.A.A. Half Marathon title was on the line. Both were in contention for the three-race B.A.A. Distance Medley crown and it’s $100,000 prize, the largest non-marathon award in road racing.
Entering today’s contest, Sambu held a 26 second advantage on reigning B.A.A. Half Marathon champion Allan Kiprono, and a 32 second cushion on Salel. One male and one female with the lowest cumulative time between April’s B.A.A. 5-K, June’s B.A.A. 10-K, and today’s B.A.A. Half Marathon would earn the $100,000 check.
Time to worry about prize money would come after the race’s conclusion, though.
Running through the Franklin Park Zoo with roughly a mile remaining, Desisa managed to pull away from both Kenyans. Crossing the finish in 1:00:34, Desisa had broken the previous course record by a whopping minute and ten seconds.
All Desisa could do was emphasize his love of Boston following the win.
“I see when I won Boston Marathon in 2013 that they give me support,” he said. “I am happy when I see the people of Boston.”
Will Desisa return to Boston for next April’s Marathon? Count on it.
“I will come back to Boston. I win, and will do more training to do Boston again,” he said. “I will come again.”
Salel, second, and Sambu, third, were given the same finish time of 1:00:41. Place didn’t matter to Sambu, though. All he cared about was the Medley standings, which he clinched with ease.
“When I entered the stadium I knew I was going to win,” said Sambu, who trains with Olympians Abdi Abdirahman and Bernard Lagat under coach James Li in Arizona. “When I was over there I knew I was going to win so I was very happy.”
With the $100,000, Sambu plans to build a water filtration and purification system at home in Eldoret, Kenya.
“I am so happy because now I am going to Kenya and bring clean water, give back,” said the recent graduate of the University of Arizona.
Rounding out the top five were Chelanga (fourth, 1:01:04) and Rutto (fifth, 1:01:32). Sixth went to last year’s champion in Allan Kiprono, while Jeffrey Eggleston crossed as the top American, seventh in 1:03:41.
Top 50 Results Below
13th Annual B.A.A. Half Marathon
Presented by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund
October 13, 2013 (USATF Certified #MA12008RN) Boston, Mass.
MYLAPS Bibtag timing by Mtec Results
Place Div/Tot No. Div Name Ag S City St 5 Mile 10 Mile Nettime Guntime Team
===== ======== ==== ===== =============================== == = ================== === ======= ======= ======= ======= ========
1 1/250 1 M2024 Lelisa Desisa 23 M Ethiopia 22:52 46:05 1:00:34 1:00:34 Nike
2 2/250 5 M2024 Daniel Salel 22 M Kenya 22:52 46:04 1:00:41 1:00:41
3 1/527 4 M2529 Stephen Sambu 25 M Kenya 22:51 46:04 1:00:41 1:00:41
4 2/527 3 M2529 Samuel Chelanga 28 M West Lebanon NH 22:52 46:05 1:01:04 1:01:04 Nike
5 3/250 7 M2024 Lani Rutto 24 M Kenya 22:51 46:30 1:01:32 1:01:32
6 4/250 6 M2024 Allan Kiprono 23 M Kenya 22:51 46:07 1:02:00 1:02:00
7 3/527 18 M2529 Jeffrey Eggleston 29 M Boulder CO 24:07 48:32 1:03:41 1:03:41
8 4/527 10 M2529 Harbert Okuti 27 M Uganda 23:30 48:19 1:03:51 1:03:52
9 5/527 15 M2529 Aaron Braun 26 M Englewood CO 23:48 48:20 1:03:52 1:03:52
10 1/559 9 M3034 Henry Rutto 31 M Kenya 23:18 48:09 1:03:58 1:03:58
11 2/559 11 M3034 Mark Kenneally 32 M Ireland 23:49 48:21 1:04:07 1:04:07
12 6/527 14 M2529 Christopher Barnicle 26 M Charlestown MA 23:48 48:30 1:04:29 1:04:29
13 3/559 16 M3034 Scott Wietecha 32 M Hendersonville TN 24:20 50:08 1:07:18 1:07:19
14 4/559 22 M3034 Tekeste Kebede 32 M Ethiopia 24:24 50:54 1:07:54 1:07:54 ADI
15 5/250 8290 M2024 Bo Waggoner 24 M Somerville MA 25:38 51:43 1:08:19 1:08:19
16 7/527 21 M2529 Mike Popejoy 27 M Somerville MA 25:24 51:52 1:08:46 1:08:46
17 1/687 41 F3034 Kim Smith 31 F New Zealand 25:41 52:03 1:09:14 1:09:14
18 5/559 101 M3034 Tadesse Biratu 33 M Malden MA 25:39 52:16 1:09:23 1:09:23 RUN
19 1/966 49 F2529 Aheza Kiros 27 F Ethiopia 25:41 52:43 1:10:03 1:10:03 ADI
20 1/671 43 F2024 Alice Kimutai 21 F Kenya 25:42 52:57 1:10:37 1:10:37
21 8/527 109 M2529 Jonathan Baker 29 M Cambridge MA 26:34 53:48 1:11:00 1:11:00 BAA
22 2/687 45 F3034 Kristen Fryburg-Zaitz 32 F Broomfield CO 27:07 55:13 1:13:12 1:13:12
23 1/395 33 M4044 Joseph Ekuom 43 M Kingston NY 26:30 55:05 1:13:38 1:13:38
24 6/559 108 M3034 Nils Schallner 33 M Cambridge MA 27:06 55:41 1:13:44 1:13:46 BAA
25 9/527 112 M2529 Garry Cuneo 27 M Groveland MA 27:12 55:44 1:13:49 1:13:49 SISU
26 2/966 42 F2529 Millicent Kuria 27 F Kenya 26:45 55:34 1:13:53 1:13:53
27 6/250 117 M2024 Daniel Dillon 24 M Somerville MA 28:16 56:16 1:14:03 1:14:06
28 2/671 47 F2024 Katie Matthews 22 F Allston MA 27:07 55:53 1:14:29 1:14:29 SAUC
29 10/527 115 M2529 Norman Mininger 28 M Colorado Springs CO 27:51 56:28 1:14:31 1:14:32
30 7/250 8387 M2024 Mike Burnstein 24 M Brookline MA 28:57 57:23 1:14:34 1:14:36
31 11/527 104 M2529 William Washer 27 M Ogdenbsurg NJ 27:43 56:21 1:14:44 1:14:45
32 12/527 110 M2529 Keith Drake 29 M Brookline MA 28:13 56:55 1:15:00 1:15:01
33 1/497 44 F3539 Jess Draskau-Petersson 36 F Denmark 28:04 57:01 1:15:14 1:15:14
34 8/250 8261 M2024 Dave Brown 24 M Brighton MA 28:16 57:06 1:15:31 1:15:34 BAA
35 7/559 120 M3034 Brian Lawney 30 M Jamaica Plain MA 28:18 57:19 1:15:49 1:15:52
36 1/438 107 M3539 Matthew Carter 35 M Saugus MA 28:28 57:17 1:15:56 1:15:57 BAA
37 13/527 174 M2529 David Harris 27 M Boston MA 30:10 59:09 1:16:18 1:16:20
38 14/527 8417 M2529 Alex Godfrey 25 M Somerville MA 28:23 57:32 1:16:27 1:16:35
39 1/269 32 M4549 Wayne Levy 48 M Waban MA 28:18 57:31 1:16:28 1:16:29 BAA
40 2/438 133 M3539 Nicola Beretta 37 M Avon CT 28:33 58:06 1:16:55 1:16:57
41 9/250 207 M2024 Joe Damron 22 M Brookline MA 28:29 58:14 1:17:02 1:17:04
42 15/527 202 M2529 Corey Watts 25 M Cambridge MA 29:47 59:27 1:17:38 1:17:45
43 16/527 121 M2529 Gregory Keshian 26 M Boston MA 28:40 58:40 1:17:39 1:17:41
44 17/527 144 M2529 Matthew Simonson 27 M Milton MA 29:59 59:22 1:17:43 1:17:55 BAA
45 8/559 181 M3034 Kenneth Wedel 33 M Boston MA 29:38 59:25 1:18:05 1:18:08 BAA
46 18/527 153 M2529 Paul Hand 29 M Boston MA 29:12 59:12 1:18:08 1:18:11
47 9/559 137 M3034 Chris George 31 M Newton MA 29:32 59:10 1:18:08 1:18:12 BAA
48 19/527 233 M2529 Lindsay Smith 26 M Brookline MA 30:13 59:34 1:18:16 1:18:18 BAA
49 10/559 140 M3034 Bastien Martini 31 M Needham MA 29:36 59:32 1:18:44 1:18:46 BAA
50 10/250 184 M2024 John Caldwell 24 M Exeter NH 29:06 59:32 1:18:49 1:18:51
“I was in really good shape coming into the race, getting ready for the ING New York City Marathon,” he said. “It’s a pretty good day, a great tune up heading into New York City.”
Aaron Braun placed ninth, and gave props to the top finishers.
“Running 61 low or 60-high, 60-mid here is like running 59-flat on a fast course,” he said, noting how hilly and challenging the course is. “I didn’t expect it to be that fast.”