Madai Perez cruises to the 2011 Phoenix Half Marathon title (© Lisa Coniglio)
It's no secret that Kara Goucher doesn't like to lose. And that doesn't bode well for her competition at April's Boston Marathon.
Goucher, 32, returned to road racing at the P.F. Chang's Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Half-Marathon Sunday (16) morning, overcoming an adversity-filled week to finish second in the women's 13.1-mile race. Despite accomplishing her goals of shaking off the rust and toeing a start line after more than a year away from the sport, the 2008 Olympian left the finish line at Arizona State University with her competitive fire burning a little hotter.
"I don't like to lose and I don't like to not run fast, I'm definitely ready to get home and work out. It's motivating for sure," said Goucher, who is 92 days away from Marathon Monday in Boston. "I had a great experience, but it stings a little. I'm not used to...not only losing, but being so far out of it. I accomplished what I needed to today, but I'm leaving here hungrier than when I arrived."
The top-ranked U.S. women's marathoner in 2009, Goucher was previously unbeaten over the Half-Marathon distance. She finished with an official time of 1:14:02, with Madai Perez of Mexico winning in 1:11:49. Perez, who has finished 11th and 15th at recent World Championship Marathons and placed 19th at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Marathon, led from the start clocking a 5:12 opening mile.
"I thought I was in shape to run 73 minutes, but I'm fine with the time," Goucher added, running 34:40 for the first 10K. "My coach wanted me to run 5:40s through 8 or 9 miles and then pick it up if I could, so I ran 5:40s but couldn't pick it up and what I had is what I had. I hung steady and I think I ran a 5:40 pace throughout so he [Alberto Salazar] is happy based on the workouts I had, and especially after the week that I had."
In the days before the race, it was uncertain if Goucher would even be able to make it to the start line in Arizona. She spent two mostly sleepless nights in a Portland hospital earlier in the week with her 16-week-old son, Colt, who needed fluid drained from an abscess on his jaw caused by an infection. The emergency impacted not only the final training for her first race since the 2009 World Championships Marathon, but delayed her travel plans as well.
"Overall it was nice to be back out there. Last night [Saturday] I forgot to do a lot of things I used to do by second nature," she added. "It was overwhelming. It was a hectic week. I didn't get much sleep, not much rest."
US 50Km record for Cox
Josh Cox, 35, won his second consecutive Rock 'n' Roll Marathon in 2:17:32 and then continued on to the Arizona State University track where he crushed his U.S. record for 50 kilometers by more than 3½ minutes, but just missed the world mark by seven seconds. He completed the 50K (31.05 miles) with an official time of 2:43:45.
"Seven seconds is hard to swallow," commented Cox, referring to South African Thompson Magawana's world best of 2:43:38 from 1988. "But I'm happy. The American record is nothing to hang your head about. I did everything I could to click off those final miles. I'll be back. I would like to run the world record here in two years. I'd like to give it another shot ... that ever-elusive world record."
Shawn Forrest of Australia won the men's half-marathon in 1:03:07, 15 seconds ahead of Cox's Mammoth Track Club training partner, Alistair Cragg of Ireland.
"The first mile I just wanted to sit and get into a rhythm and then I planned to pick it up, depending on how I felt," Forrest said after the race. "I felt great and went for it. I really wanted to win so I'm happy."
Local resident Sally Meyerhoff of Tempe earned her first marathon victory in the women's event in 2:37:56. The 2009 USA 25K champion topped a leader board in which five women qualified for the 2012 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in Houston.
"I feel so awesome," said Meyerhoff, who last finished fifth at the event in 2009. "I've wanted to win this race for the past three years. It was my first marathon in 2008 and to come back in my third try to win is unbelievable."
Organisers for the IAAF
Leading Results -
MEN
1) Josh Cox (CA), 2:17:32*
2) Solomon Kandie (KEN), 2:18:40
3) Roosevelt Cook (CA), 2:25:24
4) Allen Wagner (NM), 2:26:53
5) Frank Therrian (AZ), 2:28:16
*post-marathon, set pending U.S. 50K record of 2:43:45 (previous record, 2:47:17, Josh Cox (CA), P.F. Chang's Rock 'n' Roll Arizona, 01/18/09)
WOMEN
1) Sally Meyerhoff (AZ), 2:37:56
2) Gina Slaby (AZ), 2:42:21
3) Liana Bernard (OR), 2:42:28
4) Jennifer Santa Maria (CA), 2:44:39
5) Ariana Hillborn (AZ), 2:45:37
8th P.F. Chang's Rock 'n' Roll Arizona ½ Marathon
MEN
1) Shawn Forrest (AUS), 1:03:07
2) Alistair Cragg (IRL), 1:03:22
3) Joseph Chirlee (CO), 1:05:00
4) Mike Aish (CO), 1:05:18
5) Bret Schoolmeester (OR), 1:05:38
WOMEN
1) Madai Perez (MEX), 1:11:49
2) Kara Goucher (OR), 1:14:02
3) Emily Kroshus (CAN), 1:15:18
4) Wendy Thomas (CO), 1:17:11
5) Nicole Aish (CO), 1:19:00
Goucher, 32, returned to road racing at the P.F. Chang's Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Half-Marathon Sunday (16) morning, overcoming an adversity-filled week to finish second in the women's 13.1-mile race. Despite accomplishing her goals of shaking off the rust and toeing a start line after more than a year away from the sport, the 2008 Olympian left the finish line at Arizona State University with her competitive fire burning a little hotter.
"I don't like to lose and I don't like to not run fast, I'm definitely ready to get home and work out. It's motivating for sure," said Goucher, who is 92 days away from Marathon Monday in Boston. "I had a great experience, but it stings a little. I'm not used to...not only losing, but being so far out of it. I accomplished what I needed to today, but I'm leaving here hungrier than when I arrived."
The top-ranked U.S. women's marathoner in 2009, Goucher was previously unbeaten over the Half-Marathon distance. She finished with an official time of 1:14:02, with Madai Perez of Mexico winning in 1:11:49. Perez, who has finished 11th and 15th at recent World Championship Marathons and placed 19th at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Marathon, led from the start clocking a 5:12 opening mile.
"I thought I was in shape to run 73 minutes, but I'm fine with the time," Goucher added, running 34:40 for the first 10K. "My coach wanted me to run 5:40s through 8 or 9 miles and then pick it up if I could, so I ran 5:40s but couldn't pick it up and what I had is what I had. I hung steady and I think I ran a 5:40 pace throughout so he [Alberto Salazar] is happy based on the workouts I had, and especially after the week that I had."
In the days before the race, it was uncertain if Goucher would even be able to make it to the start line in Arizona. She spent two mostly sleepless nights in a Portland hospital earlier in the week with her 16-week-old son, Colt, who needed fluid drained from an abscess on his jaw caused by an infection. The emergency impacted not only the final training for her first race since the 2009 World Championships Marathon, but delayed her travel plans as well.
"Overall it was nice to be back out there. Last night [Saturday] I forgot to do a lot of things I used to do by second nature," she added. "It was overwhelming. It was a hectic week. I didn't get much sleep, not much rest."
US 50Km record for Cox
Josh Cox, 35, won his second consecutive Rock 'n' Roll Marathon in 2:17:32 and then continued on to the Arizona State University track where he crushed his U.S. record for 50 kilometers by more than 3½ minutes, but just missed the world mark by seven seconds. He completed the 50K (31.05 miles) with an official time of 2:43:45.
"Seven seconds is hard to swallow," commented Cox, referring to South African Thompson Magawana's world best of 2:43:38 from 1988. "But I'm happy. The American record is nothing to hang your head about. I did everything I could to click off those final miles. I'll be back. I would like to run the world record here in two years. I'd like to give it another shot ... that ever-elusive world record."
Shawn Forrest of Australia won the men's half-marathon in 1:03:07, 15 seconds ahead of Cox's Mammoth Track Club training partner, Alistair Cragg of Ireland.
"The first mile I just wanted to sit and get into a rhythm and then I planned to pick it up, depending on how I felt," Forrest said after the race. "I felt great and went for it. I really wanted to win so I'm happy."
Local resident Sally Meyerhoff of Tempe earned her first marathon victory in the women's event in 2:37:56. The 2009 USA 25K champion topped a leader board in which five women qualified for the 2012 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in Houston.
"I feel so awesome," said Meyerhoff, who last finished fifth at the event in 2009. "I've wanted to win this race for the past three years. It was my first marathon in 2008 and to come back in my third try to win is unbelievable."
Organisers for the IAAF
Leading Results -
MEN
1) Josh Cox (CA), 2:17:32*
2) Solomon Kandie (KEN), 2:18:40
3) Roosevelt Cook (CA), 2:25:24
4) Allen Wagner (NM), 2:26:53
5) Frank Therrian (AZ), 2:28:16
*post-marathon, set pending U.S. 50K record of 2:43:45 (previous record, 2:47:17, Josh Cox (CA), P.F. Chang's Rock 'n' Roll Arizona, 01/18/09)
WOMEN
1) Sally Meyerhoff (AZ), 2:37:56
2) Gina Slaby (AZ), 2:42:21
3) Liana Bernard (OR), 2:42:28
4) Jennifer Santa Maria (CA), 2:44:39
5) Ariana Hillborn (AZ), 2:45:37
8th P.F. Chang's Rock 'n' Roll Arizona ½ Marathon
MEN
1) Shawn Forrest (AUS), 1:03:07
2) Alistair Cragg (IRL), 1:03:22
3) Joseph Chirlee (CO), 1:05:00
4) Mike Aish (CO), 1:05:18
5) Bret Schoolmeester (OR), 1:05:38
WOMEN
1) Madai Perez (MEX), 1:11:49
2) Kara Goucher (OR), 1:14:02
3) Emily Kroshus (CAN), 1:15:18
4) Wendy Thomas (CO), 1:17:11
5) Nicole Aish (CO), 1:19:00
