Runners’ Choice on Philly Marathon Day

BY JERRY NOLAN

WOMEN’S MARATHON WINNER KRISTIN PRICE. CLAY SHAW PHOTO

PHILADELPHIA, PA--Runners were presented with three race choices on November 18th: A marathon, half-marathon, or 8K distances. It was clear but cold and windy as the runners awaited the 7am start. The wind would turn out to be a factor, especially for the marathon runners

Some changes were made in the previous marathon course, but essentially the 26.2-mile run took the participants through the business and historic downtown area, out Martin Luther King Drive, past the Art Museum, out Kelly Drive into the hills of Manayunk, and finally to the finish near the “Rocky Steps” of the Museum. The other races utilized part of the marathon course.

TATIANA CHULAKH, SECOND FEMALE IN THE 8K CLAY SHAW PHOTO

Taking top marathon honors in 2:25:01 was Timothy Psitet, age 27, from High Falls, NY. Following him in second and third place, respectively were Solomon Too, age 23, also from High Falls (2:26:03) and Jean Nicolas Duval, age 33, from Canada (2:28:41). Two Philadelphians, Tom Haxton (2:28:50) and Christopher Ninschel (2:28:56) finished fourth and fifth, respectively.

Finishing first among 2809 women in the first 26.2-mile event was Kristin Price, age 25, from Raleigh, N.C. with her time of 2:42:05. Paige Miller, age 24, from State College, PA was the second woman (2:43:59). Following her was Heidi Wolfsberger, age 27, from Moosic, PA (2:44:57). Miller was among a number of women who qualified for April’s Olympic Trials (standard 2:47:00) as was a Philadelphian, Abby Dean. She finished fifth in 2:45:21. Price had previously qualified in another event.

HEIDI WOLFSBERGER TAKES THIRD IN THE MARATHON AND QUALIFIES FOR THE OLYMPIC TRIALS. CLAY SHAW PHOTO

Winners in the half-marathon were: (men) Hillary Kipchumba, age 22, from West Chester, PA (1:05:40) and women, Molly Taber, age 34, from Somerville, MA (1:18:38). The 8K victors were: (men) Dagne Alemu, age 27, from Silver Spring, MD (24:18) and women, Caroline Chepkorir, age 20, from Royersford, PA (26:18). Lucien Smith, from Devon, PA was the first wheelchair in the marathon (1:37:49). There were no wheelchairs in the half-marathon. Jim Cuevas from Jersey City, NJ took the 8K wheelchair title (24:44).

Because the event numbers had increased considerably, the expo had to be moved from a circus tent in front of the Art Museum to Temple University’s Liacouras Center on North Broad Street. Another sign of the increased interest in these races, especially the marathon, is that a cap had to be imposed on the marathon participants and no new applications could be taken at the expo. The three races were included in the Mid-Atlantic Association of USATF 2007 twelve-race Grand Prix Circuit.

DAGNE ALEMU, ETHIOPIA, WINS THE 8K. CLAY SHAW PHOTO