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(coolrunning.com)
Clear skies and cool conditions greeted the largest field in the history of the B.A.A. Half Marathon, presented for the fourth consecutive year in 2006 by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and The Jimmy Fund. When City of Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino fired the starting gun at 8:05 a.m. this morning, nearly 3,500 runners set out on the 13.1-mile route along Boston's Emerald Necklace park system.
Unlike last year - when American Celedonio Rodriguez (Alamosa, CO) seized the lead in the early miles and held off Samuel Ndereba (Kenya) for the win
- a large pack of six men stayed together through seven miles. At that point, as Rodriguez, Ndereba, Richard Kiplagat (Kenya), Michael Misoi (Kenya), and Peter Gilmore (San Mateo, CA) emerged from Franklin Park, Ndereba and Kiplagat began to assert themselves. Misoi and Gilmore joined them briefly, but by mile nine it was a two-man race, with Ndereba surging to the fore in the 11th mile and extending his lead to the finish.
In the women's race, course record holder and Irish Olympian Marie Davenport (Guilford, CT / Ireland) returned to Boston where she faced a stiff challenge from newcomer Josephine Deemay (Tanzania), who had arrived in the United States for the first time. Repeated surges failed to shake the 20-year-old Tanzanian until Davenport ultimately pulled away from her rival at mile 10. Chasing the two leaders throughout the race was Boston Marathon masters division course record holder Firaya Sultanova-Zhdanova (45, Russia), who captured the 40-and older title for the second consecutive year while also placing third overall.
Following the race, both Ndereba and Davenport were thrilled with their performances. Ndereba - the younger brother of four-time Boston Marathon Champion Catherine Ndereba - wore a huge grin as he chatted with reporters and posed for photographs with his fellow competitors. Having lost to Rodriguez by just 12 seconds in 2005, Ndereba readily admitted he'd changed his tactics for the 2006 edition of the race. "Today I had a different plan because last year the winner went fast, and we let him go . . . today we did not allow him to push the pace," said an animated Ndereba, visibly pleased to have won the B.A.A. Half Marathon on his third attempt (in addition to placing second last year, Ndereba was sixth in 2004).
Davenport also bore a bright smile, relieved after having arrived at the race unsure of her level of fitness. After suffering through a cold and missing a workout as she prepared for today's race, Davenport nonetheless felt strong over the final miles. As Davenport headed out of Franklin Park, much of the field was heading in, and their cheers spurred her on. "The volunteers, spectators and other participants were very supportive," she said. "It was a great atmosphere."
Mark Ledo and April Coughlin won their respective push rim wheelchair divisions, each defending the title they first won last year. Ledo's victory over runner-up and two-time champion Tony Noguiera was the closest margin in that division's history.
After the 2005 edition of the B.A.A. Half Marathon was run in cold and rainy conditions, today's weather could not have been better. A near-full moon was still visible when the race began, and blue skies and a bright sun warmed the finish as an event-record 3,482 runners crossed the finish line in Roberto Clemente Park.
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