Ethiopians Jabore, Mengesha triumph at Broad Street Run

Djibouti (HAN) May 3, 2015 – Geeska Sports News. Tigist Jabore couldn’t have encountered a busier weekend. Or a more productive one.

The 21-year-old woman from Ethiopia won two races in two days, and after capturing the Broad Street Run on Sunday, she had the obvious answer about being fatigued.

“Of course I am tired,” she said through interpreter Meryem Erdogan, who finished fourth in the race.

It was a successful day for Ethiopian runners as Haile Mengesha captured the men’s championship.

Each winner earned the $3,000 first-place prize in the 36th annual 10-mile run.

It was a picture-perfect day for the event. The temperature at the start of the race about 8 a.m. was 54 degrees.

Saturday, Jabore won the first prize of $1,000 in the Valley Health 10K race in Winchester, Va. “If I didn’t run yesterday I think I would have broken the course record,” she said.

The Broad Street women’s record (53 minutes, 7 seconds) was set by Catherine Ndereba in 1999.

Jabore’s winning time was 53 minutes, 34.35 seconds. Askale Merachi, who won the Broad Street Run in 2013, took second in a time of 53:39.77.

This is Jabore’s first time in the United States and she certainly is enjoying the experience. Her first race came April 25 when she finished fifth in the 10K Hyvee Road Race in Des Moines, Iowa. She wasn’t happy with her performance.

“It was jet lag,” she said.

There was no worry about that this weekend, only running lag, but Jabore had more than enough energy.

She said she liked Philadelphia and running the course. “The course was very straight,” she said.

Mengesha, the men’s winner, prevailed in 47:53.58. Jaouad El Jazouli, among a group of Moroccan runners who train in Roxborough, was second in 48:38.28. Both were well off Patrick Cheruiyot’s record of 45:14 set in 2007.

Mengesha, 29, placed third in last year’s race.

“I am very happy with my performance,” he said through an interpreter. “This is a good course to run.”

The top American finisher in the men’s race was Thomas Young of Fort Lee, N.J., who placed fourth in 50:22.03. Finishing one spot back in fifth was the highest-ranking Philadelphian, Steven Schelander (50:26.71). A 24-year-old Shippensburg University graduate, Schlander has been living in Roxborough for the last three years.

“It’s a huge honor to be the first Philadelphian,” he said.

This was the first time he has run Broad Street, although Schelander has competed twice in the Philadelphia Marathon.

The top U.S. woman was Esther Erb, an assistant track coach at Rider University. The 2012 Broad Street winner, Erb finished fifth in 55:56.78.

Tony Nogueira, originally from Portugal and now living in Glen Ridge, N.J., continued his dominance in the open wheelchair division despite some pre-race adversity.

“I had a flat and had to change it before the start,” said Nogueira, 47.

He finished in 38:01.66, well off his record of 32:05 set in 2007 but still capping a successful day.

Race officials reported that two runners apparently suffered heart attacks, one on the course and one near the finish line. Both were expected to remain hospitalized overnight. Tigist Jabore couldn’t have encountered a busier weekend. Or a more productive one. The 21-year-old woman from Ethiopia won two races in two days, and after capturing the Broad Street Run on Sunday, she had the obvious answer about being fatigued.

“Of course I am tired,” she said through interpreter Meryem Erdogan, who finished fourth in the race.

It was a successful day for Ethiopian runners as Haile Mengesha captured the men’s championship.

Each winner earned the $3,000 first-place prize in the 36th annual 10-mile run.

It was a picture-perfect day for the event. The temperature at the start of the race about 8 a.m. was 54 degrees.

Saturday, Jabore won the first prize of $1,000 in the Valley Health 10K race in Winchester, Va. “If I didn’t run yesterday I think I would have broken the course record,” she said.

The Broad Street women’s record (53 minutes, 7 seconds) was set by Catherine Ndereba in 1999.

Jabore’s winning time was 53 minutes, 34.35 seconds. Askale Merachi, who won the Broad Street Run in 2013, took second in a time of 53:39.77.

This is Jabore’s first time in the United States and she certainly is enjoying the experience. Her first race came April 25 when she finished fifth in the 10K Hyvee Road Race in Des Moines, Iowa. She wasn’t happy with her performance.

“It was jet lag,” she said.

There was no worry about that this weekend, only running lag, but Jabore had more than enough energy.

She said she liked Philadelphia and running the course. “The course was very straight,” she said.

Mengesha, the men’s winner, prevailed in 47:53.58. Jaouad El Jazouli, among a group of Moroccan runners who train in Roxborough, was second in 48:38.28. Both were well off Patrick Cheruiyot’s record of 45:14 set in 2007.

Mengesha, 29, placed third in last year’s race.

“I am very happy with my performance,” he said through an interpreter. “This is a good course to run.”

The top American finisher in the men’s race was Thomas Young of Fort Lee, N.J., who placed fourth in 50:22.03. Finishing one spot back in fifth was the highest-ranking Philadelphian, Steven Schelander (50:26.71). A 24-year-old Shippensburg University graduate, Schlander has been living in Roxborough for the last three years.

“It’s a huge honor to be the first Philadelphian,” he said.

This was the first time he has run Broad Street, although Schelander has competed twice in the Philadelphia Marathon.

The top U.S. woman was Esther Erb, an assistant track coach at Rider University. The 2012 Broad Street winner, Erb finished fifth in 55:56.78.

Tony Nogueira, originally from Portugal and now living in Glen Ridge, N.J., continued his dominance in the open wheelchair division despite some pre-race adversity.

“I had a flat and had to change it before the start,” said Nogueira, 47.

He finished in 38:01.66, well off his record of 32:05 set in 2007 but still capping a successful day.

Race officials reported that two runners apparently suffered heart attacks, one on the course and one near the finish line. Both were expected to remain hospitalized overnight. Philly


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