Lauren Kleppin
CARLSBAD, Calif. (January 27, 2013) – What began as a potentially-dreary morning quickly transformed into a day of new beginnings and celebrations for race champions, and over 8,400 finishers of the 22nd Tri-City Medical Center Carlsbad Marathon & Half Marathon held Sunday morning in Carlsbad.
Pesky light drizzle which cleared to mostly-cloudy skies with temperatures in the mid-50s were anything but dreary conditions for defending champion, Mario Macias of Manitou Springs, Colo. and Lauren Kleppin, of Big Bear Lake, Calif. who claimed decisive victories in the men’s and women’s divisions of the marathon.
Macias, a Mexican citizen, claimed his second wire-to-wire win in as many years, finishing in 2 hours, 19 minutes, 43 seconds
“The weather was perfect,” said Macias. “There was a strong head wind coming off the ocean but the tail wind helped heading back.”
Macias finished more than two minutes ahead of second place finish, Chris Siemers, 32, of Arvada, Colo. (2:23:51). Eulogio Rodriguez, 29, of Whittier, Calif. finished (2:25:36).
In the women’s marathon division, Kleppin, 24, took an early lead in her first-ever marathon and never looked back, finishing in 2:42:17. “I always wanted to run a marathon,” said Kleppin, a multiple time All-American while at Western State Colorado University. Celestine Arambulo, 43, of San Diego, Calif. placed second in 2:55:01, while Jasmine Sessions, 32, of Farmington, Utah, took third (3:02:38).
In the half-marathon race, Stephen Sambu, 24, of Kenya won the men’s race in 1:03:02 and Belianesh Zemedkun Gebre of Ethiopia, claimed the woman’s crown in 1:12:10. It was Sambu’s first half-marathon.
Sambu and seven other elites including Jordan Chipangama of Zambia, Tesfaye Sendeku Alemayehu of Ethiopia, Guor Marial of South Sudan, and Kenyans Eric Chirchir, Samuel Kosgei and Benard Langat ran as a pack through 10K before Sambu revved up the pace and began to pull from away midway through the race for the win.
“I was a bit worried about how I would feel about the distance but I felt fine so I just ran at a comfortable pace and then picked it up,” said Sambu a 9-time NCAA All- American. Chipangama finished second in 1:04:08 and Alemayehu rounded out the podium in 1:04:14.
In the women’s race, Gebre took an early lead which she only extended, finishing more than two minutes ahead of Everlyne Lagat, runner-up, and defending champion (1:14:21) and third place finisher, Heather Jackson, of Carlsbad, Calif. (1:14:24).
“I was feeling good and wanted to run my own pace,” said Gebre who has only raced one other time since recovering from a knee injury. “There was a strong head wind and I did not want to run alone so I stayed with a pack,” said Lagat. “That was all I had in me today. When I give it my all, I am happy.”
Over 8,400 runners and walkers from 47 states and 30 foreign countries participated in the 2013 Tri-City Medical Center Carlsbad Marathon & Half Marathon.
The scenic 26.2 and 13.1-mile races started and finished at the Westfield Plaza Camino Real in Carlsbad and treated runners and walkers to tours of the Buena Vista Lagoon, the Village of Carlsbad and the Pacific coastline before returning home to the finish line. Live musical bands entertained the thousands of participants, volunteers and spectators along the course throughout the morning.
The event enlisted the help of more than 2,000 volunteers and benefited 19 official charities. Both the marathon and the half-marathon sold out months in advance.
22nd Tri-City Medical Center Carlsbad Marathon
Carlsbad, Calif, Sunday, January 27, 2013
Men
1) Mario Macias (MEX), 2:19:43, $3000*
2) Chris Siemers (USA/CO), 2:23:51, $1500**
3) Eulogio Rodriguez (USA / CA), 2:25:36, $750***
4) Tialoc Venancio-Mancilla (MEX) 2:26:32, $650****
*includes $500 sub-2:30, $500 sub-2:25 and $1000 sub 2:20 bonuses
** includes $500 sub-2:30 and $500 sub-2:25 bonuses
*** includes $500 sub-2:30 bonus
**** includes $500 sub-2:30 bonus
Women
1) Lauren Kleppin (USA / CA), 2:42:17, $3000*
2) Celestine Arambulo (USA / CA), 2:52:15 $1000**
3) Jasmine Sessions (USA / UT), 2:55:01, $750**
4) Sarah Hallas (USA/CA) 2:55:53, $650 **
*includes $500 sub-2:58, $500 sub-2:50 and $1000 sub 2:45 bonuses
** includes $500 sub-2:58 bonus
Tri-City Medical Center Carlsbad Half Marathon
Men
1) Stephen Sambu (KEN), 1:03:02, $2500*
2) Jordan Chipangama (KEN), 1:05:10, $750
3) Tesfaye Alemayehu (ETH), 1:04:14, $500
4) Eric Chirchir (KEN), 1:04:20, $250
*includes first sub-1:04 male bonus
Women
1) Belianesh Gebre (KEN), 1:12:10, $2500*
2) Everlyne Lagat (KEN), 1:14:21, $750
3) Heather Jackson (USA / CA), 1:14:24, $500
4) Natasha LaBeaud (USA/CA) 1:15:32, $250
*includes $1000 first sub-1:15:00 bonus
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