Kiplagat Wins NYRR Mini 10K

Edna Kiplagat

NEW YORK – (June 9, 2012) – On a day when the NYRR New York Mini 10K celebrated 40 years of being the first, and often the best, women-only race in the world, Kenya’s Edna Kiplagat used some nostalgia of her own to pull away from Aheza Kiros of Ethiopia for a victory under cloudy and somewhat muggy conditions in Central Park.

After running through the first three and a half miles at 5:15 pace with a pack of half a dozen, Kiplagat, 32, reprised her winning move from the 2010 ING New York City Marathon, dropping a 4:48 split on the park’s east side to shred the group and make the only uncertainty not who would win, but by how much.

The final answer to that question was 10 seconds, Kiplagat crossing the same finish line as the marathon in 32 minutes, 8 seconds. Kiros and Hilda Kibet, Kiplagat’s former countrywoman who now represents The Netherlands, were well back in 32:18 and 32:34 respectively. Kiplagat sliced 16 seconds off her time from last year when she placed fourth behind Kenya’s Linet Masai.

“It was good running on the same roads as the marathon,” Kiplagat commented afterward. “I knew there was a downhill after we got to the top [of the hill past 5K] and decided to push.” Kiplagat, who took home $10,000, ran a negative split: 16:20 first 5K vs. 15:48 second 5K.

The early pacesetting duties had been handled by Lindsey Scherf, who grew up not far north of Manhattan, and raced often in the park during her days as a youth phenom. She would finish ninth in 33:26, good for second American.

The top U.S. finisher was Stephanie Rothstein, who finished 6th and used the race as a combination of a tune-up for the Olympic Track Trials later this month as well as a bounce back from January’s Olympic Marathon Trials, where she was forced to drop out at 23 miles.

“I still don’t know exactly what happened in Houston,” said the UCSB grad who clocked 33:04, a personal road record, and also earned $5000 U.S.-only prize money. “We may never know – that’s the nature of the marathon. But my coach [Greg McMillan] and I decided it was time to get back on the track.

“I recover pretty fast so we figured this was a perfect hard effort two weeks before the 10,000 in Eugene, and this gives me a lot of confidence. My goal today, and at the end of the month, is to be in the mix, and I was pretty successful in doing that today.”

At the 41st edition, the professionals were joined by 6,100-plus finishers on Saturday morning, including Jacqueline Dixon, who won the first edition of the event over a field of 78. Kathrine Switzer, who ran the first race and won the following year, paid homage to its history by running in an almost threadbare shirt from the first race, emblazoned with “Crazy Legs Mini Marathon” in bright pink.

“It’s hard to believe that 40 years ago it was considered crazy that women should run long distances,” said NYRR CEO Mary Wittenberg, who competed in the race herself. “Today, we all showed just how far we’ve come.”

41st NYRR New York Mini 10K
New York, NY, Saturday, June 9, 2012

1) Edna Kiplagat (KEN), 32:08, $10,000
2) Aheza Kiros (ETH), 32:18, $5000
3) Hilda Kibet (NED), 32:34, $3500
4) Diane Nukuri-Johnson (BDI), 32:38, $2500
5) Firehiwot Dado (ETH), 32:51, $1500
6) Stephanie Rothstein (USA / AZ), 33:04, $5000*
7) Lara Tamsett (AUS), 33:06
8) Aziza Aliyu (ETH), 33:22, $1000#
9) Lindsey Scherf (USA / NC), 33:26, $3250*#
10) Claire Hallissey (GBR), 33:33

Other U.S.
11) Desiree Davila (MI), 33:38, $1250*
14) Serena Burla (MO), 34:18, $750*
18) Amanda Marino (NJ), 35:06, $500*
*U.S.-only prize money; #NYRR member prize money