Jason Hartmann wins the 2009 Twin Cities Marathon (© Kurdyumova/Porada)
MinneapolisSt. Paul, USAYesterday on a cool Sunday morning (4 October), with 7C at the start and an overcast sky, USA’s Jason Hartmann, 28, and Ilsa Paulson, 20, took substantial victories at the 28th Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon, crossing with personal bests of 2:12:31 and 2:31:49 accordingly.
This year the marathon hosted 2009 USA Women’s Marathon Championship, which Paulson added to her overall title.
Over 11,000 runners from 50 U.S. states and 20 countries started on the scenic urban course in Minneapolis to go past several lakes, along the Mississippi River embankment to the finish line at State Capitol in St. Paul, the capital of Minnesota. The course records are 2:10:05, set by Phil Coppess in 1985, and 2:26:51 set by Zinaida Semenova in 2001, and repeated by Irina Permitina in 2004.
Another 6500 runners took part in the 10 Mile Race, which this year was also hosting the US Men’s 10 Mile title that was won by Abi Abdirahman in 46:35. Rachel Booth took the women’s 10 Miles (57:33).
MEN
A large group of about 20 runners set the pace for the first 5km. Soon after, it thinned to 10, led by Jason Hartmann, who had finished 10th in 2007 New York City Marathon in 2:15:27, and Kenya’s Augustas Kavutu Mbusya, the 4th place finisher in 2009 Rock’n Roll San Diego Marathon (2:13:24).
For the next 10 Miles they had the close company of three other Kenyan athletes John Njoroge, Reuben Chesang, and Joseph Mutinda, a Russian Grigoriy Andreyev, and US marathon debutant Luke Watson.
Hartmann and Mbusya took turns in leading, but after mile 23 Hartmann started building up a gap and was a solo leader on the last 2 mile stretch. Here, he dropped his water bottle and turned back to pick it up, and despite losing some valuable metres still finished in 2;12:09, almost a minute ahead of Mbusya (2:13:03), who had also been the runner-up in 2007.
Hartmann used to be a basketball player, but then gave it up in high school and started running: “I trained so hard and so long, making 120 miles per week. Now I shall take a vacation – a week or so, and then get back to work again. And I shall save the prize money.”
WOMEN
The women’s field was headed by 4-times Olympian, 45-year-old Colleen De Reuck who during her illustrious career has one major city marathon titles such as Berlin in 1996 when her current PB of 2:26:36 was established, and she even medalled at the World XC Champs in 2002. As the eighth place finisher at this year’s Boston marathon in her season’s best of 2:35:37 De Reuck was the prodigious favourite for the Twin Cities title.
Also in the field was Robyn Friedman, winner of 2007 Twin Cities Marathon, Sally Meyerhoff, winner of 2009 USA 25km Champs, Kristen Nicolini, Mary Akor, and eventual race winner Ilsa Paulson, a New York resident, who had ran only one marathon before, the 2008 New York City race, finishing 15th in 2:41:17.
At halfway, De Reuck had an 18 second lead on Paulson which grew to 40 seconds by 20 miles, but she was caught with about three-miles to go by the relative novice who came home with a 48 seconds victory in 2:31:49.
“It was mostly between me and Colleen (De Reuck),” said Paulson. “I did not see what the rest were doing behind. But I kept watching Coleen and felt that she was running pretty fast – like 5:20 at the beginning. No, I said to myself, I need to hold 5:45 even and that was what I did.”
“I caught up with Colleen when there were 3 miles left to go. She was already tired, because she went very fast at the beginning, as if for a world record. She made a great race, and she pulled me along to the win.”
De Reuck finished second in 2:32:37, claiming the top USA Women’s Masters Championship title.
Paulson went to Northern Arizona University for one semester and then dropped out, feeling that she must train hard and become a professional runner. “Next I would like to run the Phoenix or Houston Marathon in 2010. Now I shall relax for about two weeks and enjoy the city, just jog easy in the park and smell the roses, and then start training again.”
Yelena Kurdyumova and Sergey Porada for the IAAF
RESULTS
MARATHON
MEN
1. Jason Hartmann USA 2:12:09
2. Augustus Kavutu Mbusya KEN 2:13:03
3. John Njoroge KEN 2:13:26
4. Joseph Mutinda KEN 2:13:47
5. Grigoriy Andreev RUS 2:13:59
6. Reuben Chesang KEN 2:15:24
7. Luke Watson USA 2:15:29
8. Antonio Vega USA 2:15:45
9. Tyler Sigl USA 2:17:28
10. Mario MacIas USA 2:18:34
WOMEN
1. Ilsa Paulson USA 2:31:49
2. Colleen De Reuck USA 2:32:37
3. Kristen Nicolini USA 2:35:06
4. Nicole Blaesser USA 2:35:09
5. Sally Meyerhoff USA 2:35:49
6. Robyn Friedman USA 2:36:44
7. Sheri Piers USA 2:37:24
8. Camille Herron USA 2:38:23
9. Mary Akor USA 2:38:51
10. Wendi Ray USA 2:38:58
10 MILE USA CHAMPIONSHIPS RESULTS
MEN
1. Abi Abdirahman USA 46:35
2. Joshua Moen USA 46:38
3. Patrick Smyth USA 47:09
4. Jason Lehmkuhle USA 47:16
5. Ian Burrell USA 47:41
WOMEN
1. Rachel Booth USA 57:33
2. Claudia Becque USA 58:08
3. Jenna Boren USA 58:21
4. Erin Moeller USA 58:55
5. Kim Magee USA 59:35
