FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Trafeh, Nelson Win USA Half Marathon Championships
Women's Grandma's Marathon Course Record Falls
(Duluth, Minn.) Mo Trafeh claimed another national title by winning today's
2013 USA Half Marathon Championships and set a new course record while
doing so. Trafeh, 28, of Duarte, Calif., ran the fastest ever time on the
Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon course - 1 hour, 1 minute and 17 seconds,
breaking the previous mark of 1:02:19 set by Ethiopia's Derese Deniboba in
2011.
Trafeh, now an eight-time national champion, also won the half-marathon
championship in 2011. The victory earned him $13,500 in prize money -
$12,000 for first place and an additional $1,500 bonus for a time under
1:02:00.
Meb Keflezighi, fourth in the 2012 Olympics marathon, placed second in
1:01:22. Defending champion Abdi Abdirahman, also an Olympian last year,
finished sixth in 1:02:57.
Adriana Nelson, 33, of Boulder, Colo., claimed the women's crown with a
winning time of 1:11:19. Desiree Davila, a member of the 2012 U.S. Olympic
marathon squad, placed second in 1:11:26. Nelson wins $12,000 for first
place and an additional $1,250 for a sub-1:12:00.
Meanwhile, history was made in the 37th running of Grandma's Marathon.
Kenya's Sarah Kiptoo ran away from the field and broke the 10-year-old
women's course record. Kiptoo, 23, ran a personal-best 2:26:32, bettering
the previous mark of 2:27:05 from 2003 by Fira Sultanova.
Kiptoo, making her Grandma's Marathon debut, claimed the $10,000 winner's
check plus a $10,000 bonus for running sub-2:29:00. She also receives a new
Toyota, courtesy of one of the events two presenting sponsors.
Bazu Worku won the men's championship in 2:11:14 - the fifth fastest in
race history. Worku earned $10,000 for the victory plus a $2,000 bonus for
finishing in under 2:12:00.
Krige Schabort won his fourth men's wheelchair title in 1:24:12. Amanda
McGrory won her seventh Grandma's Marathon crown, winning in 1:38:38.
The 2013 Grandma's Marathon had 7,338 registrants and of those, 5,763
runners started the race and 5,613 finished. The annual Two
Harbors-to-Duluth 26.2-mile race had entrants from 40 countries and all 50
U.S. states, plus the District of Columbia.
In the 23rd Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon, John Klecker, 25, of Minnetonka,
Minn., took the men's title in 1:09:19, while the women's race was won by
New Zealand's Mary Davies, 30, with a time of 1:11:07.
A record number of 7,835 people registered for the 2013 Garry Bjorklund
Half Marathon with 6,645 runners starting the race and 6,618 finishing.
For complete results, log on to GrandmasMarathon.com. All results are
unofficial.
Grandma's Marathon weekend was presented by Toyota and Wells Fargo Bank
Duluth. The 38th running of Grandma's Marathon is Saturday, June 21, 2014.
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