Tola, Ndereba Win NYC Half-Marathon Presented by NIKE

July 28, 2008 from Running USA wire (NEW YORK NY) In his biggest career win to date, 20-year-old Tadesse Tola of Ethiopia prevailed by one second over Patrick Makau of Kenya at the third NYC Half-Marathon Presented by NIKE. Tola, timed in 1 hour, 58 seconds in warm, humid conditions, was just half a stride in front of Makau (1:00:59) at the finish by historic Battery Park in the city's financial district on Sunday. U.S. Olympic marathoner Dathan Ritzenhein of Eugene, OR was third in 1:01:38.

The women's contest saw 2003 and 2007 world marathon champion and 2004 Olympic marathon silver medalist Catherine Ndereba of Kenya pull away from Mexican marathon record holder Madaí Pérez in the 13th mile to win by eight seconds, 1:10:18 to 1:10:26; Japan's Yuri Kano was third in 1:10:31. Ndereba also won the inaugural NYC Half in 2006 and was a close second last year to Hilda Kibet of Kenya (now The Netherlands).

Despite the oppressive conditions, the men's race began with a 4:30 opening mile, with Tola clearly trying to run away from the field. Makau covered his moves as the course looped through hilly Central Park, while Ritzenhein and Kenya's Richard Maiyo kept the pair within sight. The two leaders shared the pace as the course exited the park to head south through Times Square and then across town to the flat West Side Highway, where their finish order was determined just steps from the line.

"It was a great race, a very competitive race," said Tola, speaking through a translator. He had previously shown an excellent ability to run well in warm weather when he finished seventh at the 2007 IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Mombassa, Kenya, in brutally hot conditions.

"[Today's] race tells me I can have a good future," he said.

For Ritzenhein, the race served as a final tune-up performance before the men's Olympic Marathon, to be contested on Sunday, August 24. "This was a great last test before Beijing," he said. "It was a very good indicator. I learned what weather I can tolerate. It really confirmed for me that I'm in the kind of shape I thought I was in."

Ndereba, 36, also used the race as a tune-up for the Olympic Marathon (the women's event is slated for Sunday, August 17). A veteran performer who would seemingly have nothing to prove at any distance, she notched her 18th career half-marathon victory in 25 known attempts.

"Sometimes I win, sometimes I lose," she said with typical modesty. "I always go with a kind of positive attitude, but I know that only God can give me the victory."

The New York Road Runners (NYRR) race had 10,564 starters this year and a race record 10,506 finishers. "This race," said NYRR president and CEO Mary Wittenberg, "has every bit of the potential of the ING New York City Marathon."

3rd NYC Half-Marathon Presented by NIKE
New York, NY, Sunday, July 27, 2008

MEN
1) Tadesse Tola (ETH), 1:00:58, $10,000
2) Patrick Makau (KEN), 1:00:59, $7500
3) Dathan Ritzenhein (USA / OR), 1:01:38, $5000
4) Richard Maiyo (KEN), 1:01:55, $3500
5) Girma Tola (ETH), 1:02:58, $2000
6) William Kipsang (KEN), 1:03:25, $1500
7) Hosea Rotich (KEN), 1:03:33, $1000
8) Hendrick Ramaala (RSA), 1:04:07, $750
9) Worku Beyi (ETH), 1:04:07, $500
10) Demesse Tefera (ETH), 1:04:1, $250

WOMEN
1) Catherine Ndereba (KEN), 1:10:18, $10,000
2) Madai Perez (MEX), 1:10:26, $7500
3) Yuri Kano (JPN), 1:10:31, $5000
4) Alice Timbilili (KEN), 1:11:08, $3500
5) Colleen De Reuck, 44, USA / CO, 1:12:03, $2000
6) Lyudmila Biktasheva (RUS), 1:12:23, $1500
7) Aziza Aliyu (ETH), 1:12:27, $1000
8) Rose Cheruiyot (KEN), 1:12:28, $750
9) Ilsa Paulson, 19, USA / AZ, 1:13:22, $500
10) Kiyoko Shimahara (JPN), 1:13:41, $250

Full results, race photos and more at: NYRR.org