California Track & Running News July-Aug 2013, VOLUME 39 NUMBER 3 | Seite 25

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Mark Winitz

At the SACTOWN 10, Ethiopia’s
Tesfaye Alemayehu defended
his title and was crowned
men’s open PA/USATF
10-mile champion.

25

Credit Union SACTOWN Ten-Mile Run
Sacramento; April 7
Strong winning performances by the defending
men’s champion and by a female 2012 Olympian,
plus two U.S. age-group record-breaking performances, highlighted this third annual race organized
by the Sacramento Running Association that benefits the Children’s Miracle Network.
Ethiopia’s Tesfaye Alemayehu pushed hard

from the start (about 4:42 pace) on the flatand-fast loop course that starts and finishes
in front of the California State Capitol, tucking in behind fellow native Ethiopian
Shadrack Biwott (Eugene). At about 6 miles,
Alemayehu made a move and proceeded to
successfully defend his 2012 men’s title in
47:42. Last year, he won in 47:37. Biwott garnered second place in 48:30. Jameson Mora
(third, 48:52, Arroyo Grande) followed. Alemayehu, who resides in Antioch, was
crowned the PA/USATF open men’s 10-mile
champion.
41-year-old Kevin Castille (Nicholasville,
KY) finished fourth overall in an exemplary
48:57, bettering the existing U.S. M40–45
10-mile record of 49:34 set by Paul Pilkington in 1998.
Kim Conley (West Sacramento) was a
bit of a surprise entrant in the women’s
field, given that the 2012 Olympian had primarily stuck to racing distances of 10K and shorter
to that point. The 27-year-old UC Davis graduate
captivated the track world last year with a stirring,
come-from-behind effort to finish third in the
women’s 5000 meters at the U.S. Olympic Track
& Field Trials in Eugene and earn a trip to the
Olympic Games in London. After grabbing a spot
on this year’s U.S. team for the IAAF World Cross
Country Championships in Poland, her aim became to make the U.S. track team for the IAAF
World Track & Field Championships in Moscow
this coming August.
Conley treated the 10-mile race in Sacramento as a strength workout, taking a longerterm view as she prepared for her track season
and a world team-earning performance at the U.S.
Outdoor Track & Field Championships (June
20–23). She was accompanied by two of her Sacramento Running Association Elite team members,
Alia Gray and Lauren Jimison, for the first half of
the race before proceeding to victory, timed in
56:21. Gray (Santa Rosa) finished second in 56:52.
Jimison (El Dorado Hills) was third in 56:56.
“We’re still trying to build up a little strength
coming off the cross county season and transitioning t