B2B Winner Micah Kogo Heads Falmouth Field

Kogo
and Nukuri-Johnson lead the Field

at
the

39^th
Annual New Balance Falmouth Road Race

Moran
and De Reuck to defend American Titles

 

Falmouth,
Mass. ‰ÛÒ   Micah Kogo, fresh off last
weekend‰Ûªs 27:46 win at the Beach to Beacon 10k, and Diane Nukuri-Johnson, winner
of the Steamboat Classic 4 Miler and the Quad City Times Bix 7 Miler will lead
the field at the New Balance Falmouth Road Race to be held Sunday, Aug. 14 at 10 a.m.  A field of 11,000 runners will race the scenic
waterfront seven-mile course winding from Woods Hole to Falmouth Heights. 

Kogo, 25, from Kenya is the 2008 Olympic
bronze medalist in the 10,000 meters, 2007 Falmouth winner and has bests of
27:01 (IAAF world best in 2009) in the 10k, 13:00.77 in the 5,000 meters and
26:35.63 in the 10,000 meters.  Chasing
him will be fellow countrymen, Edward Muge, 28, who was third in Beach to
Beacon, fifth in Falmouth last year and has bests of 27:52.09 in the 10,000
meters and Gilbert Okari, 31, who set the race course record of 31:08 in 2000.  Also, Canadian Simon Bairu, 28, with a 27:23
10,000 meter best, is making his Falmouth debut.

The American field will include defending
champion Ed Moran, 30, of Williamsburg, Va.; Abdi Abdirahman, 34, of Tuscon,
Ariz., three-time Olympian, four-time USA 10K champion with a 27:22.81 10,000
meter best; Mohamed Trafeh, 26, of Tampa, Fla., with a half marathon best of
1:00:39; Fasil Bizuneh, 31, of Indianapolis, Ind., the 2010 US 10-mile champion
with a 27:50.48 and 10,000 meter best; as well as Fernando Cabada, 29, of
Boulder, Colo., the US 25K champion in 1:15:41. 

On
the women‰Ûªs side, Nukuri-Johnson, 26, from Burundi, a 2000 Olympian in the
Sydney Games, will be challenged by Americans ‰ÛÒ Polish-born Magdalena Lewy
Boulet, 38, from Oakland, Calif., who was on the 2008 Olympic marathon team and
has a best of 31:48.58 in the 10,000 meters; Romanian-born
Adriana Nelson, 31, of Ft. Collins, Colo.,
second in the Steamboat Classic and sixth place finishes in last month‰Ûªs
Peachtree Road Race 10k as well as Beach to Beacon; and two-time Falmouth
winner Colleen De Reuck, 47, of Boulder, Colo., who was fifth overall in 2010, and
who will defend her American and masters titles.  Four-time Falmouth champion and two-time
Olympic Marathon silver medalist, Catherine Ndereba, 38, of Kenya will return
after finishing fourth in 2010 as will six-time Falmouth winner, Olympic
marathon gold medalist and crowd favorite, Joan Beniot Samuelson, 53, of
Freeport, Maine, who was fourth master and 16^th woman overall in
2010.

Defending and eight-time champion, Craig
Blanchette, 43, of Battle Group, Wash., leads the men‰Ûªs wheelchair field.  Challengers include two-time Falmouth winner
and course record holder (23:35 set in 2008), Krige Schabort, 47, from
Cedartown, Ga.; three-time Falmouth champion, Tony Nogueira, 43, from Glen
Ridge, N.J.; two-time Falmouth champ, Patrick Doak, 43, from Carlisle, Mass. and
Grant Berthiaume, 49, from Tuscon, Ariz.

Defending and four-time winner, Jessica
Galli, 27, from Savoy, Ill., leads the women‰Ûªs wheelchair field.  She will be joined by Jacqui Kapinowski, 48,
from Point Pleasant, N.J. and fifteen year old Bridgette Wise from Pipersville,
Pa.

Prize money totaling $116,400 will be paid to
the top international and U.S. finishers, an increase of $14,900 over 2010.  The
American prize prize purse is the largest outside a national championship with
the male and female prize totals of $22,350 each.  This total will equal the open male and female
prize purse with double-dipping allowed.  In addition, the New Balance Falmouth Road
Race male and female wheelchair prize purse has been increased to $4,250 each
from $2,500.

About Falmouth Road Race
                  The
New Balance Falmouth Road Race was established in 1973 and has become one of
the premier running events of the summer season.  Each year the race draws an international field
of Olympians, elite athletes and recreational runners out to enjoy the scenic
7-mile seaside course.  The non-profit
Falmouth Road Race organization is dedicated to promoting health and fitness
for all in its community.  Proceeds from the
race each year support youth athletic programs in the town of Falmouth and
other nonprofit community groups.

 Visit the race web site –   www.falmouthroadrace.com.