World's Best 10K: Kiplagat Beats Defar By Over One Minute, Okari Wins for Men

Race Results Weekly

Meseret Defar's 10 km road racing debut can only be viewed as a qualified success. She ran a very solid 32:08 here, good for second place, but was beaten by over a minute by reigning world road running champion, Lornah Kiplagat of the Netherlands. In windy conditions, the two were together at 3 km in a swift 9:17, but in the next five kilometers, the Dutchwoman opened a huge 46 second lead, splitting 8-K in 24:45. She went on to win in 31:05, her fifth victory here. "From the beginning it was kind of a slow race," said Kiplagat's husband and manager, Pieter Langerhorst, who called the RRW office this morning. "There was a lot of wind. At three and a half-K Meseret had to let go already." On the men's side, Gilbert Okari got his season off to a good start with a one-second victory over Cosmas Koech, best known for running the roads in the Netherlands. Marathon ace Martin Lel was third. Nobody earned any of the big time bonuses: $15,000 for men sub-28:00 or women sub-31:00, or $100,000 for a new world record.

MEN -
1. Gilbert Okari, 28, KEN 28:08 $25,000
2. Cosmas Koech Kimutai, KEN 28:09 15,000
3. Martin Lel, 28, KEN 28:13 10,000
4. Peter Kamais, 30, KEN 28:37 8,000
5. John Yuda, 29, TAN 28:38 6,000
6. Samuel Kosgei, 20, KEN 28:57 5,000
7. Wilson Kiprotich, 26, KEN 29:01 4,000
8. Boniface Kiprop, 22, UGA 29:02 3,000
9. Duncan Kibet, 28, KEN 29:15 2,000
10. Boaz Cheboiywo, 28, KEN 29:20 1,000
11. Linus Maiyo, 23, KEN 29:27
12. Phillip Lgat, 24, KEN 29:48
13. Gebo Burka, 19, ETH 29:49
14. Luis Collazo, 34, PUR 29:21 1,200p
15. Cesar Lam, 32, PUR 29:54 850p
16. Nicholas Manza, 22, KEN 30:31
17. Joseph Chirlee, 27, KEN 30:53
18. Freddy Alvarado Gil, 28, VEN 31:04
19. James Koskei, 36, KEN 31:04
20. Hosea Rotich, 27, KEN 31:11
p = Earned Puerto Rican citizen award

Intermediate Times at 3 km and 8 km for Top Finishers:
Okari: 8:36, 22:31
Koech: 8:35, 22:31
Lel: 8:35, 22:31

WOMEN -
1. Lornah Kiplagat, 32, NED 31:05 $25,000
2. Meseret Defar, 23, ETH 32:08 DB 15,000
3. Zhor El Kamch, 33, MAR 32:20 10,000
4. Hilda Kibet, 25, KEN 32:39 8,000
5. Dire Tune, 21, ETH 32:42 6,000
6. Helena Kiprop, 30, KEN 32:43 5,000
7. Susan Chepkemei, 31, KEN 32:47 4,000
8. Tatiana Petrova, 23, RUS 32:50 3,000
9. Amane Gobena, 24, ETH 33:17 2,000
10. Edna Kiplagat, 27, KEN 33:20 1,000
11. Adriana Pirtea, 27, ROM 33:21
12. Kim Smith, 25, NZL 33:22
13. Olga Kravtsova, 26, UKR 33:23
14. Kate O'Neill, 26, USA 33:59
15. Rose Kosgei, 25, KEN 35:09
16. Galina Alexandrova, 31, RUS 35:17
17. Erika Mendez, PUR 36:34 1,200p
18. Michelle Coira, PUR 36:56 850p
19. Caroline Cheptanui, 22, KEN 37:01
20. Zenaida Maldonado, PUR 37:31 625p
p = Earned Puerto Rican citizen award

Intermediate Times at 3 km and 8 km for Top Finishers:
Kiplagat: 9:17, 24:45
Defar: 9:17, 25:31
El Kamch: 9:25, 25:41