Ethiopians dominated the 43^rd Chevron Houston Marathon in Houston, Tex., Sun., Jan. 18, as Birhanu Gedefa led a 1-2-3 sweep by the East African nation in the men’s race and Yebrqual Arage led a sweep of the top five positions by Ethiopia in the women’s race!

It was the seventh straight year Ethiopians had won the men’s and women’s titles in Houston.

Gedefa, a veteran runner at age 30, stayed with the lead pack through 30 kilometers (1:31:06) as they passed halfway in 1:03:20. He was still in the pack, six seconds behind his countryman Debebe Tollosa, 34, with four miles to go. Gebo Burka, 27, also of Ethiopia, then surged away from the group, quickly passed Tollosa and by 40 kilometers had opened a 14-second lead.

It was now or never for Gedefa, and he showed he was equal to the occasion as he gave chase to Burka, finally passing him in the  last 400 meters to win in 2:08:03, his personal best and the eighth fastest time ever in Houston.

Burka finished second in 2:08:12, Tollosa third in 2:09:07, and Kenya’s Dominic Ondoro, 26, also dipped under 2:10 as he ran 2:09:40 to finish fourth.

Kenyans also took the next two positions as Silah Limo, 22, finished fifth in 2:10:37 and Erick Mose, 27, sixth in 2:12:52.

The first American in the race was Aaron Braun, 27, of Denver, Colo., who ran faster over the second half of the race than the first to finish seventh in 2:12:54, which was an improvement of almost seven minutes on his personal best!

In the women’s race, the Ethiopian women were even more dominant as five of them broke away as a lead group early – and then it seemed only a question of what the finishing order would be between them at the end.

Led by Sechale Dalasa, 23, the five Ethiopians reached 5K in 17:23, 10K in 34:28 and halfway in 1:12:43. Fatuma Sado, 23, fell out of that lead group shortly afterwards. Then Birukait Degefa, 24, made a move and at 30K had opened a 14-second lead over her three countrywomen (Dalasa, Imana and Arage) who were still running together as a group. Not for long, however, as Imana, who’s only 23, increased her pace, left her companions and caught Degefa as they were clocked in 1:59:43 at 35K.

Eventual winner Yebrqual Arage, 24, now began to push and ultimately reeled in the two leaders. Taking the lead, she fought off Imana to win in 2:23:23, which was almost three minutes faster than her previous best.

Her four countrywomen finished in the following order: Guteni Imana, 2:23:32, Birukait Degefa, 2:23:51, Sechale Dalasa, 2:27:12, and Fatuma Sado, 2:28:27.

The first American in the race was Kellyn Taylor, 28, of Tucson, Ariz., who ran 2:28:40 to finish sixth.

In the U.S. Half-Marathon Championships, which were held in conjunction with the Chevron Houston Marathon, Diego Estrada, 25, of Phoenix, Ariz., was the men’s winner in a blistering 1:00:51 and last year’s U.S. women’s 10,000-meter champion Kim Conley, 28, of Sacramento, Calif., won her first U.S. women’s half-marathon title as she ran 1:09:44.

Estrada ran with the lead pack for the first 5K (14:41), then surged away, opening a 20-second gap by 10K (28:51), increased that to 45 seconds by 15K (43:14), added another five seconds to his lead by 20K (57:45) and finished in 1:00:51, the third fastest time ever by an American!

Jared Ward, 26, of Salt Lake City, Utah, making his debut at the half-marathon distance and Estrada’s closest pursuer throughout the race, finished second in 1:01:42. Girma Mecheso, 26, of Pittsburgh, Penn., was third in 1:02:16, and the great Meb Keflezighi from San Diego, Calif., winner of this race the last two years, fought off both a cold and a sore back to finish a valiant fourth in 1:02:18 – at age 39!

Kim Conley, a 2012 U.S. Olympian in the 5000 meters, is making a very impressive transition to the roads -- she finished a worthy second in the women’s race at the Pleasanton (Calif.) Double 15K (10K + 5K), Sun., Dec. 21, behind Kenya’a Risper Gasabwa, who set a very impressive world record in the event, running 48:45.2 (32:55.6/15:49.6). Conley ran 49:24.0 in Pleasanton (33:34.8/15:49.2), and she clearly was the class of the women’s field Sunday in the U.S. Half-Marathon Championships in Houston, running powerfully and confidently all the way.

She bided her time in the lead pack through 5K (16:45) and 10K (33:27).  At 15K (50:08), Conley and 2006 champion Annie Bersagel were alone at the front. Then over the next 5K, which Conley ran in 16:12, she pulled away decisively. When she passed 20K in 66:20, she held a 22-second lead and it was all over but the cheering.

Conley ran strongly all the way to the finish, winning in 1:09:44, which was the fifth fastest time ever in this race and the second fastest by an American.

Brianne Nelson, 34, of Denver, Colo., was second in 1:10:16, cutting more than two minutes off her personal best, and Janet Bawcom, 36, of Phoenix, Ariz., finished third in 1:10:46. 

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