10-07-2007
Contact:
Jim Estes
Senior Manager of LDR and Marketing
USA Track & Field
317-713-4661
MINNEAPOLIS - Abdi Abdirahman (Tucson, Ariz.), captured his third USA Men's 10 Mile title in a row this weekend at the Medtronic Twin Cities 10 Miler, running an event record of 47:34, to finish 13 seconds ahead of local favorite Jason Lehmkuhle (Minneapolis, Minn.).
Despite warm temperatures and high humidity (72 degrees/88 percent), Abdirahman dominated from the gun. Passing the first mile in 4:42, only Dan Browne (Portland, Ore), the recent 2007 USA 20 km and 5 km champion, Lehmkuhle, and James Carney (Boulder, Colo.) dared try to match strides with the two-time U.S. Olympian.
Abdirahman made his decisive move during the mostly up-hill third mile (4:36), as Browne, Lehmkuhle and Carney gave chase. By five miles, he had opened a 50 meter gap while Lehmkuhle began to pull away from Browne and Carney.
As Abdirahman passed eight miles, he was up by more than 80 meters and was able to cruise the last two miles to the State Capitol. "I did what I came hear to do," said Abdirahman. "From here I've got to home and get ready for the big day!"
Carney, matching his place from last month's USA 20 km Championships came home in third, running 48:03 while training partner Ed Torres (Boulder, Colo.) took fourth in 48:19. Gradually moving from tenth-place at half-way, Matt Gonzales (Albuquerque, N.M.) ran 48:43 to round out the top five.
The championship featured more than 30 top men in the U.S., many of whom used the race as the final tune-up before the U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Men's Marathon next month in New York.
The USA Men's 10 Mile Championship was the seventh stop for the men on the 2007 USA Running Circuit (USARC) and pays a total of $25,000 in prize money, with the winner earning $10,000.
The USARC, a USA Track & Field road series, features USA Championships from 5 km to the marathon and attracts the best U.S. distance runners. The thirteenth edition for the men and twelfth for the women, the 2007 USARC has nine events for men and seven events for women.
The first ten U.S. runners earn points at each USARC race (15 for first, 12 for second, 10 for third, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1), with a final $12,500 grand prix purse ($6000, $4000, and $2500) for the top three men and women point scorers overall. The USARC points at the USA Marathon Championships will be doubled.
The mission of the USA Running Circuit is to showcase, support, and promote U.S. runners. Since its inception in 1995, the USARC and its races have provided over $4 million dollars to U.S. distance runners.
For more information on the 2007 USARC and USA Men's 10 Mile Championship visit www.usatf.org.
