DEENA KASTOR WITH RG’S FREDDI CARLIP AFTER DEEENA’S RECORD-BREAKING RUN. CLAY SHAW PHOTO

America’s Distance Sweetheart Shatters
U.S. Record at Jefferson Hospital
Philadelphia Distance Run

Deena Kastor Lowers Joan Benoit’s 21-Year-Old Mark

PHILADELPHIA, PA—In a city rich with tradition and history, America’s distance sweetheart, Deena Kastor, wrote her own chapter when she shattered the American half-marathon record at the 28th annual Jefferson Hospital Philadelphia Distance Run on Sunday morning, September 18. Kastor, 32, covered the 13.1-mile distance in a time of 1:07:53 to lower Joan Benoit’s 21-year-old mark of 1:08:34 set at this same race in 1984. Kastor also eclipsed the event mark of 1:08:30 set by Catherine Ndereba in 2001.

Kastor, who was prepping for the October 9 LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon, earned a total of $16,000 for her efforts with $8,000 for her victory plus an additional $5,000 for the event record and $3,000 for breaking the American mark. In addition to her new half-marathon mark, she now owns American road records in the 5K (14:54), 8K (24:36), 15K (47:15), and the marathon (2:21:16). Kastor won the bronze medal in the marathon at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece and was only the second American ever to win an Olympic medal, after Benoit captured the gold in the marathon in 1984.

“I’m ecstatic,” said Kastor. “I couldn’t ask for a better race. It was a gorgeous morning. It was a little harder than I expected and I knew it was going to hurt a little. I’m glad it’s over. I wasn’t sure I would run that fast and I was starting to tire at the end. I wasn’t really sure I had it until I saw the clock at the finish.

“No one will ever match what Joan (Benoit Samuelson) has done,” Kastor said of breaking the record held by one of her idols. “The times may be different but nobody will ever match what she has done for the sport. She is an icon.”

Margaret Atodonyang, 26, of Kenya was the second woman across in 1:09:55, followed by Japan’s Rie Ueno, 29, in 1:10:02. The Olympic gold medalist from 2000, Naoko Takahashi, 33, of Japan was fourth in 1:11:28.

Ethiopia’s Gudisa Shentema, 25, captured the men’s crown in a time of 1:02:23, followed by Kenyans Simon Kirprop (1:02:34) and Linus Maiyo (1:02:40).

“I did not come here expecting to win, but I came here to run my best,” said Shentema after his victory.

Running away from the women’s pack at the start, Kastor cruised through the first two miles at 10:19 to establish what was to be a healthy margin all the way to the finish line. Kastor, who had no other women around her from the start, finished 21st overall.

Mbarak Hussein, originally from Kenya and now training in Albuquerque, New Mexico, also ran an American Masters record 1:03:23 en route to winning the over-40 title and finishing ninth overall. Russia’s Ramilia Burangulova, 41, won the women’s Masters competition in 1:16:01. Fifteen-year-old Kaitlyn Willard won the wheelchair competition in 1:15:24.

Nearly 11,000 participants made up the largest field ever for the 28th annual Jefferson Hospital Distance Run. The masses were surprised by music on the course including the Rittenhouse String Quartet, a 14-piece jazz swing band, and others while seven local high school cheer squads lined the route to entertain and motivate the runners.

Spirit on the Course Cheerleader

1. Pottstown High School
2. Lower Merion High School
3. Overbrook High School

GUDISA SHENTEMA OF ETHIOPIA WINS THE 2005 PDR IN A TIME OF 1:02:23. CLAY SHAW PHOTO

MALE

Overall

1. Gudisa Shentema 1:02:23
2. Simon Kiprop 1:02:34
3. Linus Maiyo 1:02:40
4. Christopher Cheboiboch 1:02:45
5. Mohammad Amyn 1:02:48
6. Samuel Ndereba 1:02:53
7. Francis Bowen 1:02:58
8. Ernest Kimeli 1:03:03
9. Mbarak Hussein 1:03:23
10. Michael Aish 1:03:24

Masters

1. Mbarak Hussein 1:03:23
2. Hiroyuki Fujii 1:07:18
3. Steve Spence 1:07:56

Elite

1. Gudisa Shentema 1:02:23
2. Simon Kiprop 1:02:34
3. Linus Maiyo 1:02:40
4. Christopher Cheboiboch 1:02:45
5. Mohammad Amyn 1:02:48

Philadelphia Resident

1. Lowell Ladd 1:09:04

12-14

1. Aaron Iles 1:35:21
2. Bobby Meyers 1:39:41
3. Michael Briglia 1:52:41

15-17

1. Royce Scrivano 1:31:58
2. Matthew Gewing 1:35:13
3. Mark Petroski 1:35:36

18-24

1. Mike Baird 1:09:07
2. Thomas Haxton 1:10:16
3. Ryan Fenelley 1:10:43

25-29

1. Mike McKeemen 1:07:46
2. Arthur Dicola 1:08:24
3. Lowell Ladd 1:09:04

30-34

1. Joseph Samoei 1:08:50
2. Michael Padilla 1:11:58
3. Kevin Arlyck 1:14:33

35-39

1. Gene Mitchell 1:08:53
2. Steven Monte 1:16:19
3. Neil Brenner 1:16:31

40-44

1. Steve Spence 1:07:56
2. Fred Klevan 1:10:50
3. John Carroll 1:12:49

45-49

1. John Tuttle 1:12:33
2. John Kelly 1:13:06
3. Alan Ruben 1:14:41

50-54

1. Terry Permar 1:14:30
2. Gilbert Crouse 1:16:26
3. Les Myers 1:16:55

55-59

1. Mick Slonaker 1:23:42
2. Seito Keenya 1:27:11
3. Perry Francis 1:28:13

60-64

1. Richard Webb 1:32:23
2. Tom Jennings 1:37:32
3. Ronald Wagner 1:38:38

65-69

1. Robert Mauch 1:42:36
2. Stan Neumann 1:42:53
3. Jerry Gornish 1:43:23

70-74

1. Rich Hause 1:47:26
2. An Duong 2:00:42
3. George Evinski 2:00:54

75-79

1. Jack Starr 2:27:47
2. Edward Gawinski 2:53:42
3. Hugh Gilmore 3:07:50

FEMALE

Overall

1. Deena Kastor 1:07:53
2. Margaret Atodonyang 1:09:55
3. Rie Ueno 1:10:02
4. Naoko Takahashi 1:11:28
5. Kathy Butler 1:11:53
6. Natalya Berkut 1:12:22
7. Laura O’Neill 1:13:52
8. Tatyana Chulakh 1:14:18
9. Teresa Wanjiku 1:14:30
10. Shitaye Gemechu 1:14:37

Masters

1. Ramilia Burangulova 1:16:01
2. Tatyana Pozdnyakova 1:16:58
3. Lee Dipietro 1:22:26

Elite

1. Deena Kastor 1:07:53
2. Margaret Atodonyang 1:09:55
3. Rie Ueno 1:10:02
4. Naoko Takahashi 1:11:28
5. Kathy Butler 1:11:53

Philadelphia Resident

1. Emily Kroshus 1:15:42

12-14

1. Laura Hornung 2:09:55
2. Katie Connolly 2:10:33
3. Cory Lilly 2:39:00

15-17

1. Liz Schu 1:39:05
2. Dara Fox 1:40:45
3. Rebecca Spiegel 1:52:09

18-24

1. Emily Kroshus 1:15:42
2. Jenna Darcy 1:19:34
3. Melissa Hollmann 1:23:09

25-29

1. Emily Richard 1:18:08
2. Laura Turner 1:19:02
3. Kara Lynne Kerr 1:20:23

30-34

1. Kim Walsh 1:20:21
2. Meranda Walls 1:23:20
3. Terri Cook 1:26:37

35-39

1. Anne Kugler 1:15:57
2. Kathyleen Jobes 1:18:32
3. Leslie Hoey 1:24:49

40-44

1. Sharon Stubler 1:22:47
2. Kelly Dworak 1:23:18
3. Bea Huste Petersen 1:24:46

45-49

1. Lee Dipietro 1:22:26
2. Stacy Creamer 1:28:32
3. Mary Snipes 1:33:48

50-54

1. Sharon Vos 1:28:09
2. Betty Blank 1:34:17
3. Leah Whipple 1:35:16

55-59

1. Catherine Wides 1:34:35
2. Deborah Compton 1:40:05
3. Joy Hampton 1:40:21

60-64

1. Brigitte Sutherlin 1:44:54
2. Ingrid Cantarella-Fox 1:53:39
3. Pat Welch 1:57:16

65-69

1. Bernadine Pongracz 2:29:51
2. Rosemary McCloskey 2:38:01
3. Daniele Leong 2:39:57

70-74

1. Carol Montgomery 2:32:06

75-79

1. Shirley Simmers 3:25:07
2. Lorraine Cephus 3:35:36