One of America's great athletics traditions continues this weekend in New England's lovely Cape Cod area as the Famouth Mile and Falmouth Road Race will be held on Saturday and Sunday, respectively, in Massachusetts.
The mile takes place on the track at Falmouth High School, and defending champion and meet record holder Jonathon Riley is expected to toe the starting line. Riley, who defeated training partner Chris Solinsky in last year's race 3:57.07 to 4:00.10, set a personal best as well as the fastest time ever for the event last year. It was the first time he had broken the four-minute barrier for the mile in his career.
John Carroll, who directs the mile, said he was delighted that Riley, a former Massachusetts state high school star, would be in the line-up. "It is great to have the athletes come back and run before local fans," said Carroll through a media release. "This completes a great field for both the men's and women's race this season."
Solinsky, who has a mile PB of 3:57.80, will compete again this year, one of several strong challengers for the title. Others include Will Leer (3:56.75), John Jefferson (3:57.85i), Shane Stroup (4:01.21i), and Ethiopian Abiyot Endale (4:04.61).
The top athlete on the women's side is Amy Mortimer, fresh off of her course record victory at the High Street Mile in nearby Newburyport last Sunday (4:35 CR). Mortimer, who has a personal best of 4:33.34i, was second at Falmouth last year to Olympic steeplechaser, Anna Willard, who is in Beijing to compete in her specialty. Other women set for Falmouth include three-time USA 1500m champion Treniere Clement (4:29.93i), 2003 Falmouth Mile champion Mary Jayne Reeves (4:29.10), and Reebok Boston Indoor Games mile champion Jenelle Deatherage (4:31.58).
KEFLEZIGHI, GOUCHER AND KHANNOUCHI TO COMPETE IN FALMOUTH ROAD RACE
With the mile as an appetizer, the main course will be the winding 7 mile road race from Woods Hole to Falmouth on Sunday. Several Americans will join an outstanding international field, including Olympic silver medalist Meb Keflezighi, Olympian Adam Goucher, and former marathon world record holder Khalid Khannouchi, who won at Falmouth in 1997 and '98.
Other past Olympians, from America and abroad, who plan to compete at Falmouth include Kate O'Neill, Elva Dryer, Edith Masai, Dan Browne, Amy Rudolph, Colleen De Reuck, Bill Rodgers and Joan Samuelson. Masai, 41, was victorious at the last two significant U.S. road races of the summer, the Bix 7 and the TD Banknorth Beach to Beacon.
The top Africans look to be Edward Muge of Kenya, the 2008 Bix 7 and Beach to Beacon 10-K champion; Millicent Gathoni of Kenya, the 2008 BolderBoulder 10-K champion; Angelina Mutuku of Kenya, second at the 2008 Bix 7; Nicholas Kamakya of Kenya, fourth at Falmouth last year; and Luke Kipkosgei of Kenya, fifth at Falmouth in 2004.
A prize money purse of over $90,000 will be on offer with the winners receiving $10,000 each. Last year's race had a record 8941 official finishers, and race organizers reported that over 10,000 runners had signed up this year.
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