RockRollHalfMarathon05

Top Finishers Male

Place Name Age Country Time Prize money

1 James Mwangi 22 Kenya 1:00.42 $15,000*

2 James Kwambai 22 Kenya 1:01:05 $7,000

3 Yusuf Songoka 25 Kenya 1:01:56 $5,000

4 John Korir 29 Kenya 1:02:22 $3,000

5 Mohammed Amyn 27 Morocco 1:02:30 $2,000

6 Christopher Cheboiboch 27 Kenya 1:02:36 $1,500

7 Moses Kemboi 27 Kenya 1:02:45 $1,000

8 John Gwako 27 Kenya 1:02:55 $750

9 Yoichiro Akiyama 25 Japan 1:02:59 $600

10 James Koskei 36 Kenya 1:03:18 $500

* Includes $3,000 course record bonus (old record: 1:01:27, Martin Lel, Kenya, 2003)

Top Finishers Female

Place Name Age Country Time Prize money

1 Werknesh Kidane 23 Ethiopia 1:09:48 $12,000

2 Salina Kosgei 27 Kenya 1:10:03 $7,000

3 Ikuko Nagao 23 Japan 1:10:13 $5,000

4 Naoko Takahashi 29 Japan 1:10:30 $3,000

5 Asha Gigi 31 Ethiopia 1:10:39 $2,000

6 Mihaela Botezan 29 Romania 1:10:45 $1,500

7 Nuta Olaru 35 Romania 1:11:06 $1,000

8 Alevtina Ivanova 30 Russia 1:11:14 $750

9 Miho Ichikawa 33 Japan 1:11:33 $600

10 Luminita Talpos 32 Romania 1:11:41 $500

Wheelchair Top 3

Place Name Location Time Prize

1 Chad Johnson Indianapolis IN 51:05 $600

2 Bob Molinatti Merritt Island FL 1:00:43

3 C. David Swaim Wake Forest NC 1:00:56

Masters Men

Place Name Location Time Prize

1 John Piggott Williamsburg Va. 1:11:54 $1,000

2 Rob Hinkle Yorktown Va. 1:14:28 $500

Masters Women

Place Name Location Time Prize

1 Tatiana Titova Russia 1:20:47 $1,000

2 Megan Burns Virginia Beach Va. 1:22:17 $500

Hampton Roads Residents

Men

Place Name Location Time Prize

1 Billy Edwards Virginia Beach Va. 1:11:05 $500

2 Ryan Carroll Chesapeake Va. 1:12:24 $250

Women

Place Name Location Time Prize

1 Renee High Virginia Beach Va. 1:21:26 $500

2 Megan Burns Virginia Beach Va. 1:22:17 $250

Over 17000 runners took place in this years Rock 'N' Roll Half Marathon lining Pacific Avenue with a sea of people

John M. Lesko Virginia Beach Review

VIRGINIA BEACH, VA, Sept. 4, 2005 -- Over 17,000 runners descend on the Virginia Beach oceanfront for this 13.1-mile race with local area bands and cheer leaders from across the state were positioned along the race course to help motivate runners to cross the finish line! Participants were competing for the largest half marathon prize purse in the United States of $12,000.

It was a double victory for Kenyan James Mwangi at the fifth annual Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon presented by SunTrust. In winning and setting a course record, not only did the 22-year-old earn the $12,000 first place check and an additional $3,000 course record bonus, but his 1:00:42 winning time earned him a berth on his country's team for the 2005 World Half Marathon Championships.

Women's champion Werknesh Kidane of Ethiopia made her half marathon debut a success, winning the title in 1:09:48. Breaking away from an eight-woman pack at the 10-mile mark, the 2004 Olympian blistered the final 5K in 15:58, an average of 5:08 per mile. Kidane finished fourth in the 10,000-meters at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.

The men's pack of 16 was on course record pace thru 10K before 22-year-old Kenyan James Kwambai surged at 7.5 miles, opening up a 20-meter lead. It wasn't until mile 10 that eventual winner Mwangi reeled in his countryman. A berth on the World Championship team in the balance, Mwangi pressed for the finish in search of the sub-61:00-minute time. Kwambai finished second in 1:01:05 and countryman Yusuf Songoka was third at 1:01:56.

John M. Lesko Virginia Beach Review

Men's champion James Mwangi of Kenya set a new course record with a time of 1:00:42.

"I knew I was going to win when we turned onto the boardwalk," said Mwangi, who held a six-meter lead at that point.

John M. Lesko Virginia Beach Review

Defending champion Nuta Olaru of Romania and countrywoman Mihaela Botezan led the women thru aggressive opening miles of 5:13 and 5:17, well under course record pace. But as the course unfolded, the race began to turn tactical, with eight women from five different countries still together thru Camp Pendleton and back along Atlantic Ave.

As the 10-mile mark approached, Kidane moved into position and as they crossed the mile marker, she blasted away. A 5:10 mile was followed by a 5:03, as the leader increased her margin and ran alone down the finishing stretch on the boardwalk.

"Before I ran the half marathon I thought it was too long," said Kidane. "Now I think it's really good. The weather is perfect to me. It was nice to have the cheering along the course. Everything is perfect today."

Kenyan Salina Kosgei was second at 1:10:03 and Ikuko Nagao of Japan was third at 1:10:13. Nagao's countrywoman, Naoko Takahashi, the gold medalist in the marathon at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, was fourth

Women's champion Werknesh Kidane of Ethiopia crossed the finish line in 1:09:48.

John M. Lesko Virginia Beach Review

Runners cool down at a staging area past the finish line.

John M. Lesko Virginia Beach Review

Runners along the Virginia Beach Oceanfront were being cheered on by friends and family as they cross the finish line

Over 17,000 entrants joined the elite fields on a sunny but cool day along the Atlantic shoreline, including 500 from The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team In Training program who raised a total of $1.1 million (net) for this year's event. Sixteen cheer squads and over 20 bands lined the course to entertain and motivate the runners. The evening capped off with a headliner concert featuring Vertical Horizon and Journey.

John M. Lesko photo

Virginia Beach Mayor, Meyera E. Oberndorf was on hand to show her support during the awards ceremony at the fifth street stage

17,000 runners descend on the Virginia Beach for the running of the Fifth Annual Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon