FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Hillary Too, Belayinesh Fikadu Capture 2017 Titles in Hot
Quad Cities Marathon
September 24th, 2017
MOLINE, IL - The 2017 Quad Cities Marathon, presented by Triumph Community
Bank, featured battles within the lead pack and against the weather on a
hot and steamy September morning. Kenya's Hillary Too claimed the men's
title, while Ethiopia's Belayinesh Fikadu won the women's race. The race
was run under a sunny sky, in humid conditions, with temperatures in the
70's-80's F.
In the men's race, seven men ran in the early lead pack and charged through
the opening 10K in 32:43. The group stayed together through the
1/2-marathon split in 1:09:36. The group was down to five runners at the
20-mile mark and with 5K to go (23.1 miles) it was a two man race between
Too and Ethiopia's Hailemariam Kahsay. Too and Kahsay hit that 23.1-mile
check point in 2:04:20.
Too stayed strong in the closing miles and delivered the victory in 2:21:40
(5:24 pace per mile). He improved upon a second-place finish at the 2016
QCM. Kahsay collected his runner-up finish in 2:21:57. The hot conditions
kept runners from challenging the 2:14:04 course record.
Luke Kibet (Kenya) a member of the lead pack, until 22 miles, finished
third in 2:23:33. Joseph Amenya (Kenya) ran a solid 2:24:14 to place fourth
overall, while Michael Cheptoo (Kenya) rounded out the top five in 2:27:13.
Patrick Jenkins (Waterloo, WI) was the top American and sixth overall at
2:38:22.
In the women's race, five leaders opened with a 38:36 first 10K. Four
leaders remainded at the half-marathon split: Fikadu, Joan Massah (Kenya),
Doreen Kitaka (Kenya), and Meseret Gebre Dekebo (Ethiopia). They were all
within 40 seconds of Fikadu and Dekebo's 1:20:02 split. The group began to
splinter after 20 miles and by 23.1 miles Fikadu had opened a 3:33 lead on
Massah.
Fikadu ran hard down the stretch, despite the quickly warming temps, and
delivered a solid 2:42:11 winning time (6:11 pace per mile). Massah clocked
a 2:46:54 for second place. Kitaka (2:51:01) finished third, while Dekebo
(3:00:53) finished fourth. The top-5 overall was rounded out by Meseret Ali
Basa (Ethiopia) in 3:05:30. Ashley Livingood was the top American and
placed sixth with a 3:13:33. The course record of 2:35:07 was a bit out of
reach under the conditions.
Stanley Boen (Kenya) was the men's masters winner and ninth overall. Boen
ran a quick 1:10:29 opening half and held on for a 2:49:38 winning master's
time. Francesco Arato (Bolingbrook, IL) was second in 2:53:32, while Jasper
Halekas was third in 2:59:09.
Elena Shemyakina (Geneva, IL) won the women's master's and finished 10th
overall for women. She ran a 1:40:29 opening half and finished at 3:29:57.
Sonia Huyser placed second in 3:44:09, while Barb Delgado placed third in
3:51:32.
Top local honors went to Jack Moss in 2:58:59 and to Lizzie Lundine in
3:18:04. Moss was 11th overall in the men's field, while Lundine placed
seventh overall among the women.
Rotich, Crutchfield Win Mel Foster Half Titles
Sammy Rotich (Kenya) and Julie Crutchfield (Wilmington, IL) were winners in
the Mel Foster Half Marathon. Rotich recorded a solid 1:07:29, while
Crutchfield clocked a 1:26:19. Rotich took an early lead from the gun and
hit the 10K mark in 31:29, never looking back en route to the win.
Crutchfield used a 41:11 opening 10K and extended her lead in the second
half of the race to pull away from the field.
Benson Cheruiyot (Kenya) was second in the men's field at 1:09:28, just
ahead of Zach Baker (West Des Moines, IA) in 1:09:31.
Ali Kirsch was runner-up on the women's side in 1:28:55, while Hannah Reese
(Denver, CO) placed third in 1:31:38.
The top local runners in the half were Logan Beausoleil (Bettendorf, IA) in
1:13:19, placing seventh overall, and Kirsch in 1:28:55.
The course records, in the half, remained in place at 1:05:03 (men) and
1:14:23 (women).
(click here for complete 2017 results)
2017 QC MARATHON OVERALL RESULTS:
MEN'S MARATHON
1. Hillary Too, Kenya, 2:21:40
2. Hailemariam Kahsay, Ethiopia, 2:21:57
3. Luke Kibet, Kenya, 2:23:33
4. Joseph Amenya, Kenya, 2:24:14
5. Michael Cheptoo, Kenya, 2:27:13
WOMEN'S MARATHON
1. Belayinesh Fikadu, Ethiopia, 2:42:11
2. Joan Massah, Kenya, 2:46:54
3. Doreen Kitaka, Kenya, 2:51:01
4. Meseret Gebre Dekebo, Ethiopia, 3:00:53
5. Meseret Ali Basa, Ethiopia, 3:05:30
MEN'S MASTERS MARATHON
1. Stanley Boen, Kenya, 2:49:38
2. Francesco Arato, Bolingbrook, IL, 2:53:32
3. Jasper Halekas, Iowa, 2:59:09
WOMEN'S MASTERS MARATHON
1. Elena Shemyakina, Geneva, IL, 3:29:57
2. Sonia Huyser, Illinois, 3:44:09
3. Barb Delgado, Missouri, 3:51:32
MEN'S MARATHON TOP LOCAL
1. Jack Moss, Iowa, 2:58:59
WOMEN'S MARATHON TOP LOCAL
1. Lizzie Lundine, Iowa, 3:18:04
MEN'S 1/2 MARATHON
1. Sammy Rotich, Kenya, 1:07:29
2. Benson Cheruiyot, Kenya, 1:09:28
3. Zach Baker, West Des Moines, IA, 1:09:31
WOMEN'S 1/2 MARATHON
1. Julie Crutchfield, Wilmington, IL, 1:26:19
2. Ali Kirsch, Iowa, 1:28:55
3. Hannah Reese, Denver, CO, 1:31:38
MEN'S 1/2 MARATHON TOP LOCAL
1. Logan Beausoleil, Bettendorf, IA, 1:13:19
WOMEN'S 1/2 MARATHON TOP LOCAL
1. Ali Kirsch, Iowa, 1:28:55
MEN'S 5K
1. Rick Pahl, Iowa, 16:19
2. Jacob Varble, Illinois, 17:38
3. Don Fredericks, Illinois, 18:16
WOMEN'S 5K
1. Audrey Jenkins, Illinois, 19:11
2. Amy Brogren, Iowa, 20:50
3. Becky Hammann, Iowa, 22:38
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