Tola Breaks Course Record At Healthy Kidney 10K
Ethiopian takes down American Dathan Ritzenhein’s two-year-old mark.
The 2009 Healthy Kidney 10K fulfilled expectations set by Ethiopian Tadese Tola, who promised to break the two-year-old course record and did, leaving a strong field in his wake with a time of 27:48 in New York City’s Central Park. Tola’s time was a full 20 seconds faster than American Dathan Ritzenhein’s 28:08 course record, set in 2007. Through the early miles Tola had company from a Kenyan duo of defending champion Patrick Makau, who reportedly had leg pain throughout the race, and American-trained Boaz Cheboiywo. At the four-mile mark Tola surged away, gapping second-place finisher Macau by 40 seconds over the closing 2.2 miles.
Americans didn’t have the showing they had hoped for as 2008 Olympians Abdi Abdirahman and Anthony Famiglietti finished 11th and 12th, respectively.
Men’s Elite Results
1. Tadese Tola – Ethiopia – Nike – 27:48 CR ($7,500 + $20,000 CR Bonus)
2. Patrick Makau – Kenya – Adidas – 28:28 ($5,000)
3. Boaz Cheboiywo – Kenya – Nike – 28:31 ($3,000)
4. Wegayehu Tefera – Ethiopia – Unattached – 28:40 ($2,000)
5. Stephen Chemlany – Kenya – Westchester TC – 28:41 ($1,000 + $1,000 NYRR Member First Prize)
For More: Rain and the Course Record Fall at Healthy Kidney 10K
For More: Video of Healthy Kidney 10K