Led by Julius Kogo, Kenyan men swept the top four places in the blistering fast All-America City 10K in Edinburg, Tex., Sat., Feb. 7, and Kenya’s Risper Gesabwa, fresh off setting a women’s world record seven weeks earlier in the Double 15K (10K + 5k), won the women’s race in a very close finish.

Edinburg, Tex., is located close to the Gulf of Mexico right next to the Mexican border and is the gateway city to the Rio Grande Valley.

The Kenyan men were absolutely sensational in Edinburg, because after Kogo, who’s 29, hit the finish line in 28:03, a new course record, Geoffrey Kenisi, 27, finished only 13 seconds back in 28:16, Cleophas Negetich, 24, was another six seconds back in third place, 28:22, and Julius Keter, 24, ran 28:32, which got him only fourth place.

Welcome to 10K road racing, Kenyan style – 28:03, 28:16, 28:22, 28:32!

The first American finisher in the race was Fernando Cabada, 32, who was ninth in 30:06.  Cabada, who’s from Fresno, Calif., has roots going back to Edinburg since his grandparents grew up in that area.

Like Risper Gesabwa, Cabada also has a connection with Double Racing® -- he is the former men’s world recordholder in the Double 15K.

Gesabwa was the women’s winner in the All-America City 10K on Saturday as she ran 33:06 to edge Lillian Mariita, 26, also from Kenya, who was second in 33:07, and Simegn Yeshanbel, 23, of Ethiopia, the third-place finisher in 33:08.

It’s interesting to note that Gesabwa ran the opening l0K leg in the Pleasanton (Calif.) Double on Sun, Dec. 21 in 32:55.6, or 10 seconds faster than she ran at Edinburg in a straight 10K race, then she came back in Pleasanton to run the 5K in 15:49.6 for an aggregate time of 48:45.2, setting what is arguably the most impressive world record in the history of Double Racing®.

The first American finisher in the women’s race at Edinburg was Dawn Grunnagle, 25, of Dallas, Tex., who was fourth in 34:50.

Comments

This was one fast 10k. Congrats to our Double 15k World Record holder Risper Gesabwa who was first woman.
Bob Anderson 2/11/15 8:30 am