Craig Young Breaks American Masters Half-Marathon Record;
Top Two Men Finish Within Inches for $3,500 Prize Money

RRCA National Half-Marathon Championship
Biggest and Most Exciting Ever

BY RICK PLATT

CRAIG YOUNG SHOWS HE'S "YOUNG AT HEART" IN THE POMOCO HALF-MARATHON BY SETTING A NEW AMERICAN MASTERS RECORD OF 1:05:01

HAMPTON, VA--Craig Young, 42, of Colorado Springs, CO shattered the American Masters (ages 40 and over) record in the half-marathon on February 7, with a time of 1:05:01 at the 8th annual Pomoco Group Hampton Coliseum Road Race. The previous record of 1:05:27 was set by Steve Plasencia in the 1998 Indianapolis Life 500 Festival Half-Marathon last May. In that same race Young had his previous half-marathon PR of 1:05:38, placing second to Plasencia, a two-time Olympian. Young's 1:05:01 is also a new men's 40-44 age group record, as well as a single-age (42) record (the previous single age best was 1:08:14 by Sal Vasquez of Alameda, Calif. in 1982).

The Hampton Coliseum race was the Road Runners Club of America (RRCA) National Half-Marathon Championship. The half-marathon, with $15,800 in prize money, attracted over 900 entrants, with 792 finishers. The accompanying 8K race, with $5,000 in prize money had almost 400 entrants, with 373 finishers.

The men's overall race was thrilling, as mere inches separated first-place Australian Andrew Letherby, 24, of Albuquerque, N.M and second-place Reuben Chesang, 36, a Kenyan, based out of San Francisco. Both were timed in 1:03:36. Out of the 830,610 inches in a half-marathon race, only one or two inches was the difference; a difference worth $2,000.

The trio of Letherby, Chesang and James Bungei, a Kenyan from Albuquerque, were still together entering the Hampton Coliseum parking area, just over a half-mile from the indoor finish. Bungei, who had handled most of the pacing chores throughout the race, was the first to drop back, eventually finishing a tired third in 1:03:52. Chesang assumed the lead in the final mile, pushing hard, and held it going inside the Hampton Coliseum, just 50 yards from the finish line. Letherby, the 1998 Penn Relays 10,000 meters champion, never had the lead during any portion of the race until the final few yards, and put on a furious kick to nip Chesang at the line.

ROBERT JOHNSON, 2ND 25-29 WITH 1:11:01, RUNS SLIGHTLY AHEAD OF BILL RODGERS, 1ST SENIOR RUNNER (1:11:11) AND FEATURED GUEST SPEAKER

John Hort, who has judged hundreds of road events as race manager of the Peninsula Track Club (which handles the finish line and results) gave the nod to Letherby, although Chesang was first down the chute when Letherby slowed after crossing the finish line. Bruce Davis, the computerized results coordinator for the PTC, was on the judging platform adjacent to the finish line, and he agreed with the decision by Hort, confirming that Letherby was one or two inches ahead at the line, "the only time he was ahead," said Davis. Davis used the chest and body of the runners as the determinant, not any flailing arms.

The race was so close that Chesang still thought he was the winner well after the finish. Chesang only discovered that the official decision went to Letherby when he was being interviewed 30 minutes later. He claimed he never saw Letherby pass him.

That decision made a difference of $2,000 as the winner earned $3,000, plus a $500 course record bonus (the previous race record of 1:04:33 was set by Brian Ferrari in 1991, the first year for the Hampton Coliseum race). Second place was $1,500 for Chesang, while Bungei earned $1,000 for third. Sean Wade of Houston and New Zealand, part of the lead pack through 8 miles, was fourth in 1:04:55, good for $600.

Young was fifth overall with his 1:05:01, but the Hampton Coliseum race did not allow "double dipping," so he earned just $750 ($500 for first Masters, plus a $250 Masters race record bonus). Jim Hage was second Masters with a 1:08:47, almost a minute under the previous Masters record of 1:09:45.

Bill Rodgers, 51, a four-time winner of both the New York and Boston Marathons, was the guest speaker for the race, and was the first 50+ runner across the line (as well as the third 40+ runner), finishing in 1:11:11, close to the U.S. single-age 51 record of 1:10:33 and the U.S. 50-54 age group record of 1:09:30, both by the legendary Norm Green.

PATTI SHULL, 2ND FEMALE MASTERS AND 10TH WOMAN OVERALL WITH 1:20:58, CRUISES ALONG THE WATER

The women's Masters record was also broken, as professional triathlete Lee DiPietro, 40 (who ran a 2:51:55 at the Houston Marathon three weeks earlier) ran a 1:19:40. Patti Shull (she ran a 2:58:32 at Houston) was also under the former Masters record (1:21:00 by Canadian Diane Legare in 1997) with her 1:20:58.

The open women's race was tame in comparison with the men's battle, as three Canadian women (Tania Jones, Michelle King and Isabelle Ledroit) shared the pacing chores, with Yugoslavian Suzana Ciric tucking in behind, and never leading until the end. At 12 miles Ciric, 29, surged into the lead, and quickly pulled away to a 1:16:43 win over Jones (1:17:00), King (1:17:21) and Ledroit (1:18:39).

The shorter 8K race was won easily by Breeda Dennehy Willis, 28, of Ireland in a solo 26:23. Willis's coach had wanted her to do a hard 8K time trial in preparation for the Irish Trials to the World Cross Country Championships (two weeks later), and the Hampton Coliseum 8K was the right distance and the right time.

The men's 8K had a four-man lead pack at 3 1/2 miles, but Henno Haava, 26, of Estonia and Sissonville, WV (24:03) outkicked Philippe Rolly of France and Arlington, Va. (24:07) and two Kenyans, Simon Cherogony (24:17) and Julius Rotich (24:21). Masters 8K wins went to Peter Kirk (25:54) and Debi Bernardes (30:28).

After the race Letherby (after running his half-marathon PR) was quoted as saying, "I never expected a half-marathon to come down to a sprint finish. I was just trying to win the race. We both gave it everything coming down the straight."

Letherby continued, "I thought James [Bungei] would be very tough. He was doing a lot of the work into the wind. A couple times I went to their shoulders, and they [the two Kenyans] would surge. The whole race we were together. It was the two Kenyans who were surging most of the way. I was just hanging on."

Letherby ran for Division I Georgia State in downtown Atlanta, where he placed 9th in the '97 NCAA Championships 5000M, then graduated in '98 with a degree in exercise science.

Did Letherby think he had won? "Yes," he said confidently, but admitting "the last couple feet was the only time I led." Letherby felt the margin of victory was "a couple inches, not very much. It was very close. I didn't want to look sideways, it would slow me down. I felt I ran through the line just ahead of him [Chesang]. He ran though the chute faster." He attributed the fast finish and the win to his track background and recent speedwork. "That was very important. I started training more like a track runner [in the past month]."

ANDREW SPAULDING, 8TH OVERALL WITH 1:07:50, KEEPS HIS EYES ON THE PRIZE

Letherby said from 600 meters in, "Reuben made a move and I followed him. He still had a lead coming into the Coliseum, two or three yards. I just thought I'd give it one last shot, sprint as fast as I could the last 50 yards, and hope I can pull him in."

Chesang's recollection of the finish was different than Letherby's. "Yeah, I thought I won. I didn't see anybody come in front of me."

Bungei, the sacrificial lamb, said, "I was going for the course record, so I pushed by myself most of the way. Sometimes I have a good kick, but not this time." Bungei may have been slowed by a cold he'd been fighting the previous two weeks.

Sean Wade commented, "James [Bungei] made nearly all of it [pacing] till seven [miles]. That's probably what cost him the race." About finishing just six seconds ahead of Young, Wade said, "I'm just glad I held him off. I don't want to lose to a 42 year old. That's a hell of a time."

Although Letherby won $3,500, the happiest person inside the Hampton Coliseum was Craig Young. "That's what's so exciting. It's one thing to break the course record, it's another thing to break the American record when it's so respectable."

"I thought it was possible, to break the existing record. I certainly had that in mind. It was evident right from the gun that I had a shot at it. I felt strong. I knew I was on pace [5 miles in 24:40]."

Publicly the night before the race, Young would only admit to an attempt at the single-age record of 1:08:14. To himself, though, he was hoping for as fast as 1:05:00 (one second faster than his actual time). "That's a bold prediction," said Young, wearing a "Young at Heart Racing" singlet. "We had ideal conditions, the wind wasn't bad, the temperature was cool and overcast, and with a flat course, it was everything you'd want."

Young hung with the lead pack through five miles. "I felt I was going just a little too fast. They had a slight surge at five miles, and I let them go." When Sean Wade fell of the lead pack at 7-8 miles, Young said, "I had something to shoot for. I set my crosshairs on him, and used him to try and stay on pace for the record. I was confident. I knew I had the endurance and the strength."

In contrast to Young, Bill Rodgers wasn't sharp yet. "It was my first race in three months, and I haven't done much speedwork." He felt his 1:11 was good preparation for an April attempt at the Boston Marathon age 50-and-over record.

MALE

Half-Marathon

Overall

1. Andrew Letherby ($3,500*) 1:03:36
2. Reuben Chesang ($1,500) 1:03:36
3. James Bungei ($1,000) 1:03:52
4. Sean Wade ($600) 1:04:55
5. Craig Young ($750**) 1:05:01
6. George Probst ($400) 1:06:40
7. Matthew Sanderock ($250) 1:07:21
8. Andrew Spaulding ($175) 1:07:50
9. Weldon Johnson ($100) 1:08:26
10. Tom Appenheimer ($75) 1:08:29
11. Jim Hage ($250***) 1:08:47
12. Dave Berardi ($50) 1:09:35

* Includes $500 course record bonus (old record 1:04:33 by Brian Ferrari, 1991)

** Includes $500 for 1st Masters and $250 for Masters course record (old Masters record 1:09:45 by Terry Permar, 1995)

*** $250 for 2nd Master.

Masters

1. Craig Young ($750) 1:05:01
2. Jim Hage ($250) 1:08:47
3. George Altieri ($100) 1:14:16

Senior

1. Bill Rodgers ($50*) 1:11:11

* Guest speaker and featured runner

19 and Under

1. Brandon Swecker 1:27:12
2. Christopher Lampman 1:30:41

20-24

1. Donald Cambria 1:11:31
2. Muluye Muluneh 1:13:54
3. James Birir 1:15:40

25-29

1. Rafael Veras 1:09:37
2. Robert Johnson 1:11:01
3. John Lomogda 1:12:55

30-34

1. Michael Mann 1:11:51
2. John Piggott 1:12:15
3. Michael Harrison 1:13:16*

*Placed 2nd in Carolina (S.C.) Marathon Saturday, then raced 8K and half-marathon Sunday.

35-39

1. Chris Chattin 1:10:49
2. Gary Slade 1:14:02
3. Craig Hymes 1:15:40

40-44

1. Kevin Nickodem 1:15:47
2. Dave Kannewurf 1:16:32
3. Michael Fuller 1:17:00

45-49

1. Chuck Moeser 1:14:20
2. Larry Miller 1:17:30
3. Rudolph Pekarek 1:18:54

50-54

1. Reuben Beauchamp 1:18:24
2. Larry Coley 1:23:21
3. Henry Danver 1:26:12

55-59

1. Ben Dyer 1:23:20
2. Skip Mullaney 1:28:00
3. John Haubert 1:28:02

60-64

1. Mel Williams 1:22:46
2. John Essery 1:34:02

65-69

1. Tom Ray 1:31:07
2. Frank Dudley 1:45:10

70-74

1. Andrew Polansky 1:40:28
2. Dixon Hemphill 1:50:41

75 and Over

1. Robert White 1:50:02

8K

Overall

1. Henno Haava ($1,000) 24:03
2. Philippe Rolly ($500) 24:07
3. Simon Cherogony ($250) 24:17
4. Julius Rotich ($150) 24:21
5. Jonathan Schlesinger ($100) 24:30

Masters

1. Peter Kirk ($300) 25:54
2. Lanny Doan ($150) 26:34
3. Develand Campbell ($50) 27:30

14 and Under

1. Ryan Kent 31:01
2. Lee Moeser 33:24

15-19

1. Steven Henn 27:43
2. William James 28:29
3. Carlos Pena Jr. 28:31

20-24

1. Michael Tanner 26:48
2. Delano Naylor 28:54
3. Hank Savedge 30:56

25-29

1. Rob Adams 26:31
2. Daniel Shaye-Pickell 27:00
3. Richard Welborn 28:05

30-34

1. Robert Hinkle 25:01
2. Darrell General 25:35
3. Michael Harrison 26:23

35-39

1. Brett Schmidt 27:49
2. Harvie Smith 29:01
3. Wes Landfear 29:04

40-44

1. Carlos Pena 27:48
2. Paul Peterson 28:11
3. Gordon Fette 29:20

45-49

1. Rick Platt 28:04
2. James Goggin 29:59
3. Jim Holloway 33:21

50-54

1. David Lowe 31:28
2. Ron Magee 34:12
3. Donald Greene 34:18

55-59

1. Cecil Davis 34:07
2. Doug Berry 36:16

60-64

1. Chan Robbins 33:10
2. Richard May 40:28

65 and Over

1. John Cholish 38:32
2. Jim Bo Lyons 40:55

5K Walk

1. George Fenigsohn 30:33

FEMALE

Half-Marathon

Overall

1. Suzana Ciric ($3,000) 1:16:43
2. Tania Jones ($1,500) 1:17:00
3. Michelle King ($1,000) 1:17:21
4. Isabelle Ledroit ($600) 1:18:39
5. Beth Green ($400) 1:18:42
6. Bea Marie Altieri ($200) 1:19:11
7. Lee DiPietro ($750*) 1:19:40
8. Sharon Servidio ($100) 1:20:23
9. Heather Appenheimer ($50) 1:20:46
10. Patti Shull ($250**) 1:20:58

* Includes $500 for 1st Masters and $250 for Masters course record bonus (old Masters record, 1:21:00 by Diane Legare, 1997)

** $250 for 2nd Master

Masters

1. Lee DiPietro ($750) 1:19:40
2. Patti Shull ($250) 1:20:58
3. Sheri Segal ($100) 1:26:14

Senior

1. Jeanne Kruger ($50) 1:33:32

20-24

1. Charlotte Cockrell 1:38:45

25-29

1. Monica Robbers 1:24:47
2. Meg Ritter 1:27:17
3. Marlies Thomen 1:27:51

30-34

1. Missy Foy 1:22:11
2. Nancy Delaney 1:25:48
3. Lisa Buckman-Lewis 1:27:24

35-39

1. Patricia Bouvatte 1:23:59
2. Patricia Keating 1:26:02
3. Carolyn Wilson 1:27:13

40-44

1. Nancy Ferris 1:32:47
2. Kathleen Powell 1:34:46
3. Tina Brashers 1:36:31

45-49

1. Barbara Mathewson 1:31:43
2. Catherine Wides 1:32:06
3. Linda Gulick 1:35:10

50-54

1. Melissa McLeod 1:46:34
2. B. J. Derring 1:48:51

55-59

1. Kathy Lewis 1:45:50
2. Linda Cooke 1:55:38

60-64

1. Tami Graf 1:55:11
2. Jeanette Chambers 2:15:31

8K

Overall

1. Breeda Dennehy Willis ($1,000) 26:23
2. Pam Huskey ($500) 28:09
3. Senoria Clarke ($250) 28:21
4. Karen Ibegbulam ($150) 28:31
5. Valerie Plyler ($100) 30:22

Masters

1. Debi Bernardes ($300) 30:28
2. Sharon White ($150) 31:51
3. Linda Kidder ($50) 32:37

14 and Under

1. Aspen Foster 36:03
2. Lindsay Kent 37:34
3. Sarah Chapman 38:17

15-19

1. Rose Moeser 35:39
2. Kristin Harman 39:10

20-24

1. Sara Rowley 34:40
2. Joy Makinen-Palmer 34:57
3. Trish Coffin 35:55

25-29

1. Jill Cridge 38:28

30-34

1. Julia Smith 32:26
2. Kelly Barton 32:50
3. Karen Killeen 33:20

35-39

1. Lori Robertson 31:29
2. Ginny Reed 35:23
3. Penny Jo Adams 35:49

40-44

1. Robin Moon 33:59
2. Pauline Phair 39:45
3. Alisa Spangler-Miller 39:54

45-49

1. Eileen Hungerman 34:14
2. Linda Whittaker 39:34

50-54

1. Andrea Hess 39:07
2. Michele McVicker 40:31
3. Judi Faye Robertson 42:17

55-59

1. Charlene Magee 41:00
2. Margaret Broaddus 44:54

60 and Over

1. Nancy Patron 43:00

5K Walk

1. Carol Pamperin 34:45