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26th Tufts Health Plan 10K for Women

Boston
October 14, 2002

BOSTON - Marla Runyan held off a furious charge from Teresa Wanjiku to capture the USA National 10K Championship at the 26th annual Tufts Health Plan 10K for Women in the closest finish in history.

Runyan, 33, the USATF National 5K and US outdoor 5,000 meter champion running her first ever 10K, finished at 31:46 to beat Kenya's Wanjiku by two-tenths of a second.

Defending champion Colleen De Reuck, Runyan and Wanjiju let a pack of 10 for the first half of the race. But Runyan and Wanjiku broke free at the Boston University bridge to lead the last two miles of the race. Runyan had a slight lead as both hit the back stretch before Wanjiku made a late push that almost paid off.

The winning time was just eight seconds off the course record of 31:38 set in 1988 by Anne Hannam. The Boston race, one of the largest all-women 10K road races in the country, drew nearly 7,000 runners.

Top Twelve
Place  Name Time Pace  Town
1  Marla Runyan 31:46 5:07  Gray, TN
2  Teresa Wanjiku 31:46 5:07  Kenya, PA
3  Any Rudolph 32:05 5:10  Providence, RI
4  Tatiana Khmeleva 32:05 5:10  Russia
5  Eyerusalem Kuma 32:13 5:11  Ethiopia
6  Colleen Dereuck 32:38 5:14  Boulder, CO
7  Teyeba Erkesso 32:38 5:15  Ethiopia
8  Ejegayehu Dibaba 32:45 5:17  Ethiopia
9  Elva Dryer 32:58 5:19  Concord, MA
10  Katie McGregor 33:06 5:20  Boston, MA
11  Blake Russell 33:06 5:20  Acton, MA
12  Libbie Hickman 33:09 5:21  Fort Collins, CO


GFRC Finishers
Place  Name Time Div Pace
81  Stephanie Crawford 41:01 39/1667 6:36
411  Karolyn Welch 47:51 110/1622 7:42
2116  Susan Ericson 57:09 672/1622 9:12
2867  Joanne Liburd 1:02:28 1101/1667 9:55
3235  Charlene Gaboriault 1:04:06 170/467 10:01
3972  Mary Tyler 1:36:36 235/467 10:44
4443  Wendy Crawford
(Stephanie's Mom)
1:11:55 310/467 11:35