Stephen Muange says he knew he had a chance at setting a course record in Saturday's 20th Garry Bjorklund Half-Marathon, and tried his best to break six-time winner Ryan Meissen's mark.
"I was aware of the course record because a friend of mine told me," the 28-year-old Kenyan said. "I wanted to break that record but I didn't. I'll have to come back next year and try."
Muange outkicked Ethiopian Bado Worku down the stretch in Canal Park to win in 1 hour, 4 minutes, 24 seconds. Meissen set his mark of 1:04:19 in 2002.
Worku was second in 1:04:27, the third-best time in race history.
A Kenyan topped an Ethiopian in the women's race as well. Caroline Rotich, who owns second- and third-place finishes in her two previous Garry Bjorklund races, ran alone most of the race to win in 1:12:40. Alemtsehay Misganaw of Ethiopia was runner-up in 1:14:46.
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Muange, who lives and trains in Farmington, N.M., and Worku pulled away from the pack about 10 miles into the 13.1-mile race.
"In the beginning, I was in the pack," Muange said. "After 10 kilometers, I decided to go for it, and after 10 miles I led the pack."
Muange, winner of the Dallas White Rock Half-Marathon and the Big Sur Half-Marathon in 2009, had enough to outkick the 21-year-old Worku over the final 300 meters. Muange's personal best of 1:03:11 came in finishing second in last year's Las Vegas Half-Marathon.
Worku, who has trained in New York the last 11 months, complained of a tight hamstring down the stretch. He says he injured his right hamstring during turbo training last week.
"My leg was hurting and that's why I was overtaken," he said through an interpreter.
Worku's career best of 1:03:45 came earlier this year in the New York City Half-Marathon.
Derese Deniboba Rashaw of Ethiopia was third in 1:04:55 and Worku Beyi of Ethiopia, who wore the No. 1 bib, was fourth in 1:05:13. Stephen Haas of Johnson City, Tenn., was the top American in fifth, while Duluthian Eric Hartmark was the top local finisher in 11th.
Muange, who was in Duluth for the first time, said he wasn't affected by weather conditions ranging from sunshine to a slight rain and a fairly constant headwind.
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"The weather was nice. It wasn't humid at all," he said. "The people are good and I like the course."
According to Grandma's Marathon officials, 5,870 people (2,531 men and 3,339 women) finished the half- marathon.
ROTICH CRUISES TO
WOMEN'S TITLE
Rotich didn't wait for anyone else to set the pace in the women's race as she went to the front of the pack right away to win her first title.
"I led from the beginning and then I pushed (the lead) and ran alone, so it was good for me," Rotich said.
Rotich, who lives and trains in Santa Fe, N.M., ran about 2 minutes ahead of last year's pace when she finished third.
"I'm happy with my time," she said. "Last year I ran 74 (minutes) and this year I ran 72, so that makes me happy that I came back to this course."
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The 26-year-old Rotich's best time is 1:10:23 at the 2009 Columbus (Ohio) Half-Marathon. She won last year's Las Vegas Marathon in 2:29:47.
Misganaw, who trains in New York, said she injured her hamstring during a speed workout in New York City two weeks ago and considered herself 50-50 for running the race as late as shortly before race time. Misganaw said she didn't feel the hamstring tighten during the race.
Jen Houck, a St. Scholastica graduate and former winner of the Fitger's 5K and Park-Point 5-Miler, was fourth in 1:15:49.
