Goucher defeats Radcliffe at Great North Run Half Marathon
Kara Goucher made her half marathon debut a memorable one in setting a new American best time with her winning performance Sunday at the Great North Run Half Marathon in north east England.
Goucher enjoyed a superb run in posting the fastest half marathon time by a woman this year of 66 minutes 57 seconds. Her time bettered the previous U.S. record of 67:34 by Deena Kastor set last year in Berlin, but due to the downhill nature of the course, it will not qualify as the American record.
With her performance, Goucher spoiled the return to competition after a 21-month absence of British world marathon record holder Paula Radcliffe, who was the runner up in 67:53.
"I really just wanted to compete and didn't know what to expect," Goucher said. "I thought I could be second or third, but I also thought I might be 10th. I just didn't know."
Goucher, who won the bronze medal in the 10,000 meters at the 2007 World Outdoor Championships in Osaka, Japan, posted splits of 15 km (47:36), 10 miles (50:59), and 20 km (63:33), which are quicker than any U.S. competitor has run before.
For more information on the 2007 Great North Run Half Marathon, visit IAAF.org.
Webb caps off season with mile win in New York
U.S. men's mile record-holder Alan Webb edged out defending champion Kevin Sullivan of Canada to win the Continental Airlines Fifth Avenue Mile on Saturday in New York City.
Chris Lukezic took the early lead through the half-mile in 1:58, as Webb waited until the three-quarter mark to make his move, with Sullivan in hot pursuit. Webb held a small lead as Sullivan made a surge with 100 meters to go, but Webb refused to let him pass and crossed the finish line first in 3:52.7. Sullivan was the runner-up in 3:52.9, with former UCLA standout John Rankin third in 3:53.3.
"They put on a world-class event here. You can look at every guy in the field here, and he has a great resume," Webb said. "To pull it out here was the perfect end to my year. I roomed with both John and Kevin this past summer, so I figured out all of their tricks - I used the Jedi mind trick on them."
In the women's race, Canadian Carmen Douma-Hussar ran the fastest time at this event since 1998 in finishing ahead of Americans Amy Mortimer and defending champion Sara Hall.
Douma-Hussar held off a series of challenges in prevailing in 4:22.8, with Mortimer passing Hall at the end to finish second in 4:23.6, as Hall crossed the finish line close behind in 4:24.1.
For more information on the 2007 Continental Airlines Fifth Avenue Mile, visit: NYRR.org.
Gebrselassie sets world marathon record
Two-time Olympic 10,000m gold medalist Haile Gebrselassie of Ethiopia took advantage of near perfect conditions in dominating a talented field Sunday in winning the 2007 Berlin Marathon with a new men's world record time of 2 hours 4 minutes 26 seconds.
Gebrselassie got out quickly and was never challenged in smashing Paul Tergat's previous WR set in 2003 in Berlin by a whopping 29 seconds. Gebrselassie has now broken 24 World records during his storied career.
"It was something very special today, because this is the marathon world record," said Gebrselassie. "That is something different in comparison to the 5,000 or 10,000m, because the marathon is the king of the distance races."
In women's action, Gete Wami of Kenya won at Berlin for the second year in a row with her time of 2:23:17. Irina Mikitenko was the runner-up in 2:24:51, which is the best ever marathon debut by a German woman.
A total of 40,215 runners from 115 nations entered the race, with an estimated one million spectators lining the course.
For more information on the 2007 Berlin Marathon, visit IAAF.org.
World Junior Championships gold medalist Lockhart shot to death
University of Mississippi quarter-miler Rodney Lydale Lockhart was found dead Saturday morning in his apartment near the UM campus. He was 20.
A member of Team USA's gold medal-winning 4x400m relay squad at the 2006 World Junior Championships in Beijing, China, Lockhart finished ninth at the 2006 SEC Outdoor Championships and was a member of the UM 4x400m relay team that placed eighth.
According to the Associated Press, Lockhart's death is being investigated as a homicide. Funeral arrangements are pending.
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