Photo above: Runners pass the Art Gallery during the Philadelphia Distance Run Half Marathon

Photo below: The men's lead pack with American Khalid Khannouchi (left) and eventual winner Julius Kibet (black singlet).

LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon is Next Destination
A hurricane named Ivan and a 22-year-old named Julius both delivered surprises at the 27th Jefferson Hospital Philadelphia Distance Run on Sunday. Julius Kibet (right in photo), 22, who trains in West Chester, Pa. won the half-marathon in 1:01:18, running a course that included a muddy stretch of Kelly Drive, which flooded after the remnants of Hurricane Ivan caused torrential rains the day before. At the 11th hour, race organizers were able to avoid detouring the course, thanks to a heroic nighttime clean- up by the City of Philadelphia.

Leading the pack throughout the outbound section and running alone into the wind on the West River Drive was Kenyan Luke Metto, now a resident of Peoria, Ill. Metto led for nearly 10 miles, opening a lead of 100 yards before fatigue set in. The pursuit pack included the same five runners for most of the race: American Khalid Khannouchi (he will be running the LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon on October 10), Kenyans Julius Kibet, Gabriel Muchiri and John Itati and Moroccan El-Arbi Khattabi (who finished second in the JHPDR in 2003).

Mile after mile through the middle section of the race, this pack clustered shoulder-to-shoulder until at mile 11, Muchiri dropped out, clutching his side in pain. The remaining four stuck together past Boathouse Row, up the hill to the Art Museum and down the Ben Franklin Parkway as far as Logan Circle. With about 300 meters to go and the finish line in sight, Kibet made his move, pouring on the speed. Answering Kibet's surge but unable to match his closing speed were Khattabi in 1:01:19 and three-time PDR champion Khannouchi in 1:01:21. Metto finished fourth in 1:01:37.

Kibet ran his race exactly according to his game plan, according to his coach Hussein Makke of Elite International Sports Management in West Chester, Pa. "We wanted him to be patient and pace himself and let someone else go out fast. He got that message and ran this race just the way we discussed."

Flashing a sunny smile, Kibet said, "I didn't expect to win, but when I looked over my shoulder, I could see that I was going to do it."

Nuta Olaru, 34, won decisively the women's race in 1:09:38. The Romanian pulled ahead at 9 miles after running in a pack with defending JHPDR champion Leah Malot and 90-pound Japanese phenom Masako Chiba, who finished 2nd and 3rd respectively, in 1:10:02 and 1:10:55. Olaru, who had finished 13th in the Athens Olympics Marathon and won the Virginia Beach Rock 'n' Roll Marathon two weeks before the JHPDR, has the LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon next on her to-do list.

Two-time U.S. Olympian Marla Runyan (photo below) from Eugene, Ore. was the top American woman with her fourth place finish (1:11:19). She is also prepping for Chicago.

Pennsylvania's Masterful Runner
In the Master's division, 42-year-old Steve Spence (photo left head track & field and cross country coach at Shippensburg University) repeated his 2003 masters victory in 1:06:23, while 2000 JHPDR Masters champion Tatyana Pozdnyakova, 49, of Ukraine, won in 1:13:36.

In the 5K Classic following the half-marathon, the top runners made the day a family affair as the 5K was won by relatives of some of the half-marathon stars. Alae Eddine Khannouchi, brother of Khalid, won the men's race in 16:07 and Steve Spence's 14-year-old daughter Neely won the women's in 18:17.

"I'm very relieved at how the event turned out," said Race Director Mark Stewart, who had been awakened with the news of Kelly Drive's flooding in the wee hours of Sunday morning. "I'm grateful to all the people who were out in the dark and gloom clearing water and muck so the runners could run the course we promised them. Everybody involved in the race owes a huge thank you to the Fairmount Park Commission."

Top local residents in the half-marathon were Edward Callinan, 30, of Cherry Hill, N.J. in 1:06:39 (18th overall) and Emily Kroshus, 21, of Bryn Mawr, in 1:15:55 (8th overall).

Top Ten & Local Finishers in Top Fifty

Men's Results
1 Kibet, Julius 	West Chester	PA 1:01:18  1:01:18 22  04:40.5	0:30:39
2 Khattabi, Elarbi 	West Chester	PA 1:01:19  1:01:19 37  04:40.6	0:30:38
3 Khannouchi, Khalid 	Ossining	NY 1:01:21  1:01:21 32  04:40.7	
4 Metto, Luke       	Peoria  	IL 1:01:37  1:01:37 28	04:41.9	0:30:27
5 Itati, John       	Royersford	PA 1:02:04  1:02:04 30	04:44.0	0:30:39
6 Kibet, Duncan 	Albuquerque	NM 1:02:45  1:02:45 26	04:47.1	0:30:43
7 Getange, Fred 	Chapel Hill	NC 1:02:50  1:02:50 29  04:47.5	0:30:43
8 Sell, Brian      	Rochester Hills	MI 1:04:00  1:04:00 26  04:52.9	
9 Verran, Clint 	Rochester Hills	MI 1:04:00  1:04:00 29  04:52.9	
10 Ndereba, Samuel 	Royersford	PA 1:04:27  1:04:27 27  04:54.9	
11 Komen, Wilson 	Washington	DC 1:04:43  1:04:41 26  04:56.0	0:31:53
16 Spence, Steven 	Shippensburg	PA 1:06:23  1:06:21 42	05:03.6	0:32:44
26 Rolly, Philippe 	Tuckahoe	NY 1:07:57  1:07:56 32  05:10.9	0:33:29
27 Wagoner, Matt 	Morton     	PA 1:08:14  1:08:09 27  05:11.8	0:34:46
32 Roundtree, Rick 	Reston   	VA 1:09:22  1:09:20 26  05:17.3	0:34:25
35 Farley, Chris 	Arlington	VA 1:09:41  1:09:38 28  05:18.6	0:34:55

Women's Results
1  Olaru, Nuta  	Romania	           1:09:38  1:09:38 34  05:18.6	0:34:55
2  Malot, Leah  	West Chester	PA 1:10:02  1:10:02 32  05:20.5	0:42:41
3  Cheiba, Masako 	Japan		   1:10:55  1:10:55 28  05:24.5	0:34:56
4  Runyan, Marla 	Eugene          OR 1:11:19  1:11:19 35  05:26.3	0:35:03
5  Fujikawa, Aki 	Japan		   1:12:42  1:12:42 25  05:32.7	0:36:02
6  Pozdnyakova, Tatyana Gainsville	FL 1:13:36  1:13:36 49  05:36.8	0:36:59
7  Asiba, Gladys 	Royersford	PA 1:14:45  1:14:45 27  05:42.1	0:36:59
8  Kroshus, Emily 	Bryn Mawr	PA 1:15:55  1:15:55 21  05:47.4	0:37:07
9  Kilpatrick-Morris, Debbi StrongsvilleOH 1:16:19  1:16:19 41  05:49.2	0:38:02
10 Hamilton, Lisah 	Phoenixville	PA 1:16:23  1:16:23 32  05:49.5	0:38:02
11 Richard, Emily 	Washington	DC 1:16:37  1:16:37 27  05:50.6	0:38:02
12 Lemberger, Sharon 	Washington	DC 1:16:51  1:16:47 31  05:51.4	0:37:54
15 Smith, Casey 	Arlington	VA 1:17:52  1:17:48 25  05:56.0	0:38:39
20 DiPietro, Lee 	Ruxton       	MD 1:19:35  1:19:33 46  06:04.0	0:39:17
23 McParland, Victoria 	Rockville	MD 1:21:02  1:20:57 28  06:10.4	0:40:47
24 McLaughlin, Meghan 	Vienna       	VA 1:21:01  1:20:59 25  06:10.6	0:40:00
25 Thomas, Lisa 	Alexandria	VA 1:21:36  1:21:31 28  06:13.0	0:40:31
32 Goulet, Lindsay 	Arlington	VA 1:23:38  1:23:32 26  06:22.3	0:41:33
42 Dowling, Michele 	Reston       	VA 1:25:55  1:25:49 34  06:32.7	0:42:29
49 Volpe, Susan 	Arlington	VA 1:27:39  1:27:31 35  06:40.5	0:43:17

Photo above: The women led by eventual winner Nuta Olaru of Romania and American Marla Runyan (far right) of Eugene, OR.

Searchable Results for the JHPDR.