(Danver Post) BOULDER — It’s an important running rivalry, the Ethiopians vs. the Kenyans, each vying for road race supremacy.
In recent years at the Bolder Boulder, Ethiopia has been dominant in the men’s team race. Monday was no different as Ethiopia won for the fifth consecutive year, but the victory was razor-thin.
Ethiopia used first-, second- and ninth-place finishes to edge Kenya by one point in the team standings. Kenya posted third-, fourth- and sixth-place finishes in a men’s team race that was the closest in the 12 years of the international team competition.
Team USA members James Carney, Ryan Hall and Aaron Braun strategized their way into a third-place finish. Carney was the first American to cross the finish
line, in fifth place, followed by Hall (seventh) and Braun (12th).
“Team strategy was to think on our feet. If the Africans wanted to make a move early, let them go and make a move later,” Carney said. “We pulled in one of them. Definitely, if you get a few stragglers to come off the back, you can pick them off. I think we executed pretty well.”
Carney finished ahead of Kenya’s Lani Rutto. Carney and Hall finished ahead of Ethiopia’s Hussen Adelo.
Ethiopia’s Belete Assefa took the individual crown, noting afterward that he “worked hard for the race.”
Assefa was followed by countryman Solomon Gonfa.
Kenyans Allan Kiprono and MacDonald Ondara finished third and fourth in the individual standings.
Carney was satisfied with his finish.
“I was really nervous coming in,” Carney said. “My last race didn’t go so well. It’s kind of been a wake-up call for me. I just came back to Boulder, kind of lived like a monk . . . and just kind of focused on this. And today I think I reaped the benefits from it. I was really pleased.”
Carney, 33, has said he’s winding down his career. Results like this will help make the transition out of competitive running easier.
“I was just really disciplined with myself,” Carney said of his training leading up to the Bolder Boulder. “I was just making sure I was running hard and grinding through these hard runs. That’s what really helped me. Whenever I’m grinding through 15 miles of dirt roads, 6 miles is like a sprint almost. So it’s a little bit easier to get your head wrapped around.”
Hall, meanwhile, enjoyed the entire spectacle of the day. He was coming off running 2 hours, 4 minutes in the Boston Marathon, which didn’t count as an American record because of a tail wind and downhill course tilt.
“I’m just learning to enjoy the ride a little bit more,” Hall said. “After running 2:04, everything else is kind of icing on the cake.”
Of his race Monday, Hall said: “I was pleased with it. The first mile felt really comfortable, and I knew it would. But the altitude . . . it’s one of those things that it gets progressively harder. Those last 2 miles felt so long. I was like, ‘Just picture yourself at the Boston Marathon finish.’ But I was hurting worse than that.”
Chris Dempsey: 303-954-1279 or cdempsey@denverpost.com
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2011 BOLDER BOULDER
Unofficial results
MEN’S ELITE
1. Belete Assefa, Ethiopia, 29:22.56
2. Solomon Gonfa, Ethiopia, 29:27.64
3. Allan Kiprono, Kenya, 29:35.13
4. MacDonard Ondara, Kenya, 29:47.92
5. James Carney, USA, 30:16.15
6. Lani Rutto, Kenya, 30:23.24
7. Ryan Hall, USA, 30:29.33
8. Jason Hartmann, Colorado, 30:39.83
9. Hussen Adelo, Ethiopia, 30:44.55
10. Constantino Leon Lopez, Peru, 30:45.38
11. Hicham Bellani, Morocco, 30:48.80
12. Aaron Braun, USA, 30:51.32
13. Fernando Cabada, Colorado, 30:54.62
14. Paulino Canchanya Canchany, Peru, 30:56.57
15. Brian Medigovich, Colorado, 31:02.27
16. Abdellah Falil, Morocco, 31:03.06
17. Julio Cesar Perez, Mexico, 31:13.20
18. Jose Carlos Roxon, Guatemala, 31:26.95
19. Alfredo Arevalo, Guatemala, 31:29.49
20. Jeremias Solol, Guatemala, 31:43.56
21. Said Diaz Ceron, Mexico, 31:49.66
22. Jaime Caldua Palma, Peru, 31:58.14
23. Mohamed Fadil, Morocco, 32:26.10
24. Neilson Hall, UK, 32:35.47
25. Jon Peppers, UK, 32:36.95
26. Jonathon Morales, Mexico, 32:57.24
27. Matt Janes, UK, 34:57.28
WOMEN’S ELITE
1. Lineth Chepkurui, Kenya, 32:29.79
2. Mamitu Daska, Ethiopia, 32:34.46
3. Meseret Mengistubiru, Ethiopia, 34:05.23
4. Amy Hastings, USA, 34:19.10
5. Claire Hallisey, UK, 34:47.50
6. Renee Metivier Baillie, USA, 34:53.73
7. Jelliah Tinega, Kenya, 35:03.65
8. Adriana Pirtea, Colorado, 35:08.24
9. Magdalena Lewy-Boulet, USA, 35:09.58
10. Yuri Kano, Japan, 35:16.32
11. Yuko Watanabe, Japan, 35:19.09
12. Tigish Tufa, Ethiopia, 35:55.63
13. Bertha Sanchez, Colombia, 36:27.93
14. Marta Ronceria, Colombia, 36:34.04
15. Colleen De Reuck, Colorado, 36:38.86
16. Zoila Gomez, Colorado, 36:44.63
17. Yumi Hirata, Japan, 36:52.31
18. Risper Gesabwa, Kenya, 36:58.28
19. Leidy Tobon, Colombia, 37:19.91
20. Sarah Tunstall, UK, 37:43.98
21. Angelica Sanchez, Mexico, 37:53.39
22. Fabiola Fernandez, Mexico, 37:55.32
23. Iracema Parra, Mexico, 38:30.92
24. Mary Wilkinson, UK, 39:22.16
MEN’S CITIZENS
1. Jeremy Freed, Evergreen, 30:27.64
2. Patrick Rizzo, Boulder, 31:09.01
3. Michael Aish, Arvada, 31:36.99
4. n/a 31:45.95
5. Keith Solverson, Parker, 31:46.77
6. Glenn Randall, Mesa, 31:48.31
7. n/a 31:52.72
8. Charles Hillig, Denver, 32:02.15
9. n/a 32:03.66
10. Curtis Begley Jr., Boulder, 32:04.20
11. Greg Reindl, Denver, 32:10.33
12. Daniel Lewis, Ardmore, Pa., 32:26.57
13. Josh Glaab, Superior, 32:27.03
14. Patrick Hunt, Boulder, 32:30.27
15. n/a 32:48.78
16. Dart Schwaderer, Wheat Ridge, 33:03.13
17. Keagan Vargo, Parker, 33:15.48
18. Matthew Kempton, Denver, 33:16.75
19. Matt Hill, Boulder, 33:21.71
20. Peter Maksimow, Manitou Springs, 33:26.03
21. Art Siemers, Golden, 33:26.56
22. Marcus Witter, Kearney, Neb., 33:30.95
23. Forrest Lewton, Boulder, 33:33.03
24. Levi Medina, Pueblo, 33:34.48
25. Brandon Jessop, Kearney, Neb., 33:42.94
WOMEN’S CITIZENS
1. Akane Mutazaki, Japan, 36:09
2. Nicole Feest, Fort Collins, 36:18
3. Nicole Aish, Arvada, 36:36
4. Wendy Thomas, Windsor, 36:41
5. Emma Keenan, Boulder, 36:46
6. Melody Fairchild, Boulder, 36:56
7. Brianne Nelson, Fort Collins, 37:06
8. Clerc Koenck, Colorado Springs, 37:07
9. Fiona Docherty, Boulder, 37:21
10. Kathy Butler, Nederland, 37:36
MEN’S ELITE WHEELCHAIR
1. Aaron Pike, 23:49
2. Ryan Chalmers, 23:50
3. Bradley Ray, 27:21
4. Ben Hulin, 34:23
5. Sean Eres, 41:49
6. Dennis Gordon, 49:03
WOMEN’S ELITE WHEELCHAIR
1. Shirley Reilly, 27:05
2. Christina Ripp, 27:50
3. Dawna Callahan, 36:47
4. Patty Cisneros, 47:37
5. Katja Stokley, 50:21