Kimani wins as
Khannouchi comes fifth in his first race as U.S. citizen
AP
5 August 2000 - Cape Elizabeth, Maine - Joseph Kimani led Kenya's sweep of the top four places at the Beach to Beacon 10K road race Saturday, while Moroccan-born marathon world best performer Khalid Khannouchi was fifth in his first race as a U.S. citizen.
Kimani, last year's runner-up behind Khannouchi, finished the race in 28 minutes, 7 seconds, after pulling away from the field about two-thirds through the event.
Simson Limareng finished next, 13 seconds back, with William Kiptum third in 28:21, and Reuben Cheriuyot next in 28:37.
Khannouchi, who won last year's event in a race-record 27:48, was 32 seconds behind winner Kimani, who owns the world best for a 10K road race.
Khannouchi received U.S. citizenship in May in hopes of representing his new country at the Olympics, but won't run at the Sydney Games because he missed the trials with injuries.
In the women’s race, two-time defending champion Catherine Ndereba of Kenya and Olympian Libbie Hickman of Fort Collins, Colorado, were neck-and-neck at the finish, but with no photo-finish camera the decision was left to the judges.
Hickman broke the tape, but all three finish-line judges agreed that Ndereba had crossed the line first. Both were timed in 32 minutes, 19 seconds. Natalie Nalepa of Austin, Texas, was third, in 32:38.
Hickman, who will run the 10,000 meters for the United States at Sydney, thought she had won the race.
"It is a little tough just because it was so close and so controversial too,'' said Hickman, whose husband filed an appeal of the judges' decision. "In my mind, I can just think that I won. I broke the tape first and to me that's who won.''
The judges, however, concluded that Ndereba was first to break the plane that extends perpendicularly above the finish mat.
Ndereba, who had no doubts about her victory, almost didn't make it to the end.
About 1 mile (2 kilometers) into the race, a male runner clipped her heel and she went tumbling to the pavement. Another female runner stepped on her back as she hit the ground.
Bleeding from her knees, left shoulder and left hand, she got up and caught the lead women's pack at the fourth mile.
"I got far behind and I thought about stopping,'' Ndereba said. "Then I said, 'No, I have to do it.'''
