TEMPE, Ariz. - (Jan. 14, 2007) - Ethiopian Terefae Yae returned to the medal stand and the women's race saw a new champion at the fourth edition of the P.F. Chang's Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon and ½ Marathon Sunday. Yae, who won here in 2005 and was runner-up last year, used a sprint down the home stretch to win the 26.2-mile race in a time of 2 hours, 14 minutes, 13 seconds. Adanech Zekiros, also from Ethiopia, won the women's race in 2:31:43, the second fastest women's time in event history.

Running on a chilly morning where the thermometer read 28 degrees at the start, the men ran a slow, tactical race that quickly broke into two packs. Yae, 25, with countryman and friend Fikadu Degefu, 34, stayed at the front, running 5:23 and 5:22 thru miles 18 and 19. Belarus product Andrei Gordeev, 31, after twice falling off the pack, surged to the front at mile 21 before he and the pack slowed to a 5:36 mile thru 22.

In 2006, it was Yae who lost the sprint to the finish. This year, he turned the table and used a late burst of speed to edge out Degefu who finished just three seconds behind in 2:14:16. Gordeev was third in 2:14:27 and defending champion Shimelis Mola, also from Ethiopia, finished fourth in 2:14:51.

"The Ethiopians are strong in the shorter distances," Degefu said of Yae's sprint. "But I don't have the speed as he does. We are coming into the finish with three people (Yae, Gordeev). I tried to come together with my friend, Terefae, but he has more power."

"Our bodies were not warm," Yae countered as the athletes commented on the unusually cool race conditions. "It is like putting your body in ice. I never could get warm."

Zekiros, who was making her first appearance in the United States, battled the length of the course with Mulu Seboka, passing thru the 10K and half-marathon marks with a course record in sight. Zekiros made her decisive move in the 21st mile and went on to win by nearly four minutes. Salomie Getnet, 20, another youngster making her first appearance in the U.S., was second in 2:35:12.

Three-time defending champion Shitaye Gemechu struggled with a stomach illness and did not finish, dropping out near mile 14.

Over 36,600 participants, including the Phoenix Children's Hospital Kids' Rock racers, registered for the fourth annual P.F. Chang's Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon & ½ Marathon. Over $5.8 million (net) was raised by 2,300 runners and walkers representing 13 official charities.

Race report by Susan Reid

4th P. F. Chang's Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon
Phoenix / Scottsdale / Tempe, AZ, Sunday, January 14, 2007

MEN
1) Terefae Yae, 25, Ethiopia, 2:14:13, $20,000
2) Fikadu Degefu, 34, Ethiopia, 2:14:16, $10,000
3) Andrei Gordeev, 31, Belarus, 2:14:27, $6500
4) Shimelis Mola, 24, Ethiopia, 2:14:51, $4000
5) Girma Tola, 30, Ethiopia, 2:16:19, $3000
6) Yuriy Hychun, 29, Ukraine, 2:18:35, $1800
7) Assefa Mezgebu, 23, Ethiopia, 2:19:38, $1400
8) Giday Amaha, 29, Ethiopia, 2:21:41, $1200
9) Dejene Nigussie, 22, Ethiopia, 2:22:08, $1100
10) Tobias Hiskia, 29, Namibia, 2:22:31, $1000

WOMEN
1) Adanech Zekiros, 24, Ethiopia, 2:31:43, $20,000
2) Salomie Getnet, 20, Ethiopia, 2:35:12, $10,000
3) Maria Portilla, 33, Peru, 2:37:40, $6500
4) Mulu Seboka, 22, Ethiopia, 2:42:44, $4000
5) Susan Loken, 42, USA / AZ, 2:47:09, $3000
6) Danuta Marczyk Tesch, 33, Poland, 2:52:16, $1800
7) Kara Ryczek, 32, USA / MA, 2:52:22, $1400
8) Michele Suszek, 24, USA / CO, 2:55:09, $1200
9) Amy Regnier, 44, USA / CO, 2:56:28, $1100
10) Sarah Cowles, 32, USA / CA, 2:59:15, $1000

MASTERS (40+)
Male
1) Ron Hyde, 47, Scottsdale, AZ, 2:34:31, $1000

Female
1) Susan Loken, 42, Phoenix, AZ, 2:47:09, $1000

Full results at: RnRAZ.com





 

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