25th Tufts Health Plan 10K For Women
7th October, Boston, Massachusetts

Marie McMahon Davenport (Ennistymon, Co. Clare) placed third in the Tufts Health Plan 10K For Women in 33.25. The 26-year-old Irish Olympian who now resides in Chester, Conneticuit closed in the late stages with an uncharacteristic blistering finish. The Providence College Alum first passed Kenyan, Martha Nyambura Komu, an 18-year-old who was third most of the race but faded to sixth. In the final mile, McMahon also kicked past former Villanova great Carrie Tollefson (fourth) and Sarah Hann (fifth).

South African Colleen De Reuck, now an American citizen won the race in 32.11 with Kenyan Jane Ngotho finishing second 33.19.

13th IAAF World Half Marathon
7th October, Bristol, England

Paula Radcliffe and Haile Gebrselassie win Half Marathon honours. Britain's Paula Radcliffe retained her world half marathon title in Bristol, England and narrowly missed the world best for the 21.1 kilometre (13.1 mile) distance. The world best is 1.06.43 held by Japan's Masako Chiba; Radcliffe ran 1.06.47 which was a 20 second improvement off her personal best and the European record. Radcliffe was well clear of second place, which went to Kenyan Susan Chepkemei in 1.07.36. After the race the tall Brit with the even seemingly taller socks said, "It was really important for me to win today, especially after the summer [4th in World Championships 10k in Edmonton] and because I was defending my title, but I would have been more pleased if I had run four seconds quicker."

Haile Gebrselassie, the four-time World and double Olympic 10,000 metre gold medallist ran the two loop 21.1-kilometre race much like he runs his track events. The 28-year-old Ethiopian 10k World Record holder (26.22.75) was content to run behind Tanzania's John Yuda for most of the 13.1-mile race, before taking the lead with about a mile remaining on the second of two loops. He sprinted in with teammate Tesfaye Jifar winning in 1.00.3 with Jifar a second back in 1.00.4 with Yuda running 1.00.12. Gebrselassie who is as honest as he is fast said, "I think I could have run faster than one hour today but it was a World Championship, and medals were more important than times."

The talk after the race was more about the winning pair's anticipated marathon débuts than today's victory. Radcliffe has already committed to run the London marathon in April. Gebrselassie's début will be in either Rotterdam or London. Grinning he said, "I'll run whichever race offers the best money. I also want to race on the best course for a beginner marathon runner. I want to try for the world record."

24th LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon
7th October, Chicago, Illinois

Running on a crisp fall Midwest morning with temperatures in the low 40s, Kenyan Catherine Ndereba ran the final 25 kilometres alone when she easily won the Chicago Marathon breaking the world marathon mark set just a week earlier. The short-lived but milestone record of 2.19:46 was set in Berlin by Japan's Naoko Takahashi. Takahashi's time was the first sub 2:20 marathon time for a woman. After a painfully slow first 5k of 17.41 which equates to around a 2.30 marathon, Ndereba injected a formidable bit of pace crossing the 10k mark in 34.10. She focused and ran 5.15-5.18 mile pace hitting 15k in 50.40 followed by an unbelievable string of 5.06 miles! The two-time Boston Marathon champion ran the final 10k in an astonishing 32.35 (5.14 pace). She crossed the finish line in 2 hours, 18 minutes, 47 seconds. She had broken the women's world best by nearly a minute. With tears flowing she told reporters, "I was thinking in my mind this morning that if the climate was good I'd go probably on a pace of 2.20,'' Ndereba said. "It was overwhelming. I could not express it. I could not believe my eyes that I could go under 2:19. It is my prayer and my dream."

The men's race was bizarre to say the least. The pacemaker, Kenyan Ben Kimondiu won in a personal best of 2:08:52 beating long distance legend and countryman Paul Tergat (2.08.56). Kimondiu ran the assigned pace but the race favourites wouldn't follow. Kimondiu along with pacesetter Joseph Kariuki even slowed to a jog shortly after the midway mark for the pack to join them. After the race the unlikely winner said, "Actually it's a great achievement. I've never dreamed of beating him, but I dreamed of running a great race."