America's Distance Sweetheart Shatters U.S. Record at Jefferson Hospital Philadelphia Distance Run; Deena Kastor Lowers Joan Benoit's 21-Year-Old Mark.

PHILADELPHIA -- In a city rich with tradition and history, America's distance sweetheart Deena Kastor wrote her own chapter when she shattered the American half marathon record at the 28th annual Jefferson Hospital Philadelphia Distance Run Sunday morning. Kastor, 32, covered the 13.1-mile distance in a time of 1:07:53, to lower Joan Benoit's 21-year-old mark of 1:08:34 set at this same race in 1984. She also eclipsed the event mark of 1:08:30 set by Catherine Ndereba in 2001.

Kastor, who is prepping for the Oct. 9 LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon, earned a total of $16,000 for her efforts with $8,000 for her victory plus an additional $5,000 for the event record and $3,000 for breaking the American record. In addition to her new half marathon mark, she now owns American road records in the 5K (14:54), 8K (24:36), 15K (47:15) and the marathon (2:21:16). Kastor won the bronze medal in the marathon at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece and was only the second American ever to win an Olympic medal, after Benoit captured the gold in the marathon in 1984.

"I'm ecstatic," said Kastor. "I couldn't ask for a better race. It was a gorgeous morning. It was a little harder than I expected and I knew it was going to hurt a little. I'm glad it's over. I wasn't sure I would run that fast and I was starting to tire at the end. I wasn't really sure I had it until I saw the clock at the finish.

"No one will ever match what Joan (Benoit Samuelson) has done," Kastor said of breaking the record held by one of her idols. "The times may be different but nobody will ever match what she has done for the sport. She is an icon."

Margaret Atodonyang, 26, of Kenya was the second woman across in 1:09:55, followed by Japan's Rie Ueno, 29, in 1:10:02. The Olympic gold medalist from 2000, Naoko Takahashi, 33, of Japan was fourth in 1:11:28.

Ethiopia's Gudisa Shentema, 25, captured the men's crown in a time of 1:02:23, followed by Kenyans Simon Kirprop (1:02:34) and Linus Maiyo (1:02:40).

"I did not come here expecting to win, but I came here to run my best," said Shentema after his victory.

Running away from the women's pack at the start, Kastor cruised thru the first two miles at 10:19 to establish what was to be a healthy margin all the way to the finish line. Kastor, who had no other women around her from the start, finished 21st overall.

Mbarak Hussein, originally from Kenya and now training in Albuquerque, New Mexico, also ran an American master's record 1:03:23 en route to winning the over-40 title and finishing ninth overall. Russia's Ramilia Burangulova, 41, won the women's masters competition in 1:16:01. Fifteen-year-old Kaitlyn Willard won the wheelchair competition in 1:15:24.

Nearly 11,000 participants made up the largest field ever for the 28th annual Jefferson Hospital Distance Run. The masses were surprised by music on the course including the Rittenhouse String Quartet, a 14-piece jazz swing band and others, while seven local high school cheer squads lined the route to entertain and motivate the runners.

-- TOP 10 RESULTS FOLLOW --

2005 Jefferson Hospital Philadelphia Distance Run
Philadelphia, PA
Sept. 18, 2005

Top 10 Men
Place, Name, Age, Country, Time, Prize money
1, Gudisa Shentema, 25, Ethiopia, 1:02:23, $8,000
2, Simon Kiprop, 28, Kenya, 1:02:34, $5000
3, Linus Maiyo, 22, Kenya, 1:02:40, $3,000
4, Christopher Cheboiboch, 27, Kenya, 1:02:45, $2,000
5, Mohammad Amyn, 29, Morrocco, 1:02:48, $1,500
6, Samuel Ndereba, 28, Kenya, 1:02:53, $1,250
7, Francis Bowen, 31, Kenya, 1:02:58, $1,000
8, Ernest Kimeli, 19, Kenya, 1:03:03, $750
9, Mbarak Hussein, 40, Kenya, 1:03:23, $1,600*
10, Michael Aish, 29, New Zealand, 1:03:24, $500

* Includes $1,000 for winning the Master's competition.

Top 10 Women
Place, Name, Age, Country, Time, Prize money
1, Deena Kastor, 32, USA, 1:07:53, $16,000*
2, Margaret Atodonyang, 26, Kenya, 1:09:55, $5000
3, Rie Ueno, 29, Japan, 1:10:02, $3,000
4, Naoko Takahashi, 33, Japan, 1:11:28, $2,000
5, Kathy Butler, 31, Great Britain, 1:11:53, $1,500
6, Natalya Berkut, 28, Ukraine, 1:12:22, $1,250
7, Laura O'Neill, 25, USA, 1:13:52, $1,000
8, Tatyana Chulakh, 24, Russia, 1:14:18, $750
9, Teresa Wanjiku, 31, Kenya, 1:14:30, $600
10, Shitaye Gemechu, 24, Ethiopia, 1:14:37, $500

* Includes prize bonus of $5,000 for event record and $3,000 for
    American record.
Old women's American record: 1:08:34 (Joan Benoit, 1984)
Old women's course/event record: 1:08:30 (Catherine Ndereba, 2001)

Masters (40 yrs. and over)
Men
1, Mbarak Hussein, 40, USA, 1:03:23, $1,000*
2, Hiroyuki Fujii, 42, Japan, 1:07:18, $500
3, Steve Spence, 43, USA, 1:07:56, $250
*American masters record; old 55:01, Craig Young, 1999

Women
1, Ramilia Burangulova, 41, Russia, 1:16:01, $1,000
2, Tatyana Pozdnyakova, 50, Russia, 1:16:58, $500
3, Lee Dipietro, 47, USA, 1:22:26, $250

First Philadelphia resident
1, Lowell Ladd, 29, 1:09:04, $1,000
1, Emily Kroshus, 22, 1:15:42, $1,000

Spirit on the Course Cheerleader
1, Pottstown High School, $1,000
2, Lower Merion High School, $750
3, Overbrook High School, $500

For images of race champions, click on: http://sportssystems.com/hosting/display.cfm?key=100284