Tadese Tola Breaks Ritzenhein’s Central Park 10K Record

Tola Totally Breaks Course Record at Healthy Kidney
10K

Defending champion Makau holds on for second place;
Aliyu women’s winner; record race field

From
NYRR via Running USA

NEW YORK – (May 16, 2009) – Tadese Tola of Ethiopia
made history by running 27 minutes, 48 seconds, the fastest 10K ever recorded in
Central Park – at the 5th Healthy Kidney 10K on Saturday morning. This
was his second match-up with Kenya’s Patrick Makau in New York City and
his second win, after last year’s NYC Half-Marathon, in which he edged Makau by
one second.

Tola and Makau ran the first half of the race side by side
until Tola pulled away in the fourth mile. Judging by his form and the ease with
which he won, Tola was in control of the race from start to finish. “After mile
four, we were moving at a fast pace, and I was confident I’d have the record,”
said Tola afterward. “This was a good course for me, and I am very happy
now.”

Makau, recovering from his marathon debut – a fourth place
finish in 2:06:14 at the Fortis Rotterdam Marathon little more than a month ago
– took second in 28:28, nine seconds slower than his winning performance last
year. “This was good to see my endurance – my body is coming back,” he said.
Boaz Cheboiywo of Kenya ran 28:31, good for third place in his Healthy
Kidney debut.

Earlier this week, Tola said “If the temperature is good, I
think I can break the record by running 27:56 or 27:58.” In spite of the rain
that fell intermittently during the race, Tola bettered his prediction and
earned the Zayed Bonus for a course record. The $20,000 prize had been
won only once before, by Dathan Ritzenhein in 2007. Tola crushed
Ritzenhein’s record by 20 seconds.

The frontrunners were followed by Wegayehu Tefera of
Ethiopia (fourth), Stephen Chemlany of Kenya (fifth) and Worku
Beyi of Ethiopia (sixth). Aziza Aliyu of Ethiopia won the women’s
race in 33:38.

More than 7,500 finishers, split fairly evenly between men
and women, came out despite the fog and rain to be part of the fifth running of
the Healthy Kidney 10K. The turnout was the largest ever for the event.

5th Healthy Kidney 10K
New
York, NY, Saturday, May 16, 2009

MEN
1) Tadese Tola (ETH), 27:48*, $27,500
2) Patrick
Makau (KEN), 28:28, $5000
3) Boaz Cheboiywo (KEN), 28:31, $3000
4)
Wegayehu Tefera (ETH), 28:40, $2000
5) Stephen Chemlany (KEN), 28:41,
$1000
6) Worku Beyi (ETH), 28:42, $750
7) Haron Lagat (KEN), 28:43,
$500
8) Martin Fagan (IRL), 28:45, $250
9) Tesfaye Girma (ETH),
28:46
10) Abraham Ng’etich (KEN), 28:57
*course record (previous, 28:08,
Dathan Ritzenhein, 2007)

WOMEN
1) Aziza Aliyu (ETH), 33:38
2) Hirut Mandefro
(ETH), 33:41
3) Salome Kosgei (KEN), 34:20

Complete results at: www.NYRR.org