Dominating victory for Deena Kastor at US Cross Country Championships in Boulder (© Victah Sailer)
Olympians Alan Culpepper and Deena Kastor returned to the USA Cross Country Championships for the first time since 2003, and produced dominating victories on Saturday afternoon (10).
Culpepper was timed in 37:09 for the men's 12Km course while Kastor cruised to victory in 26:47 over the women's 8Km.
Culpepper, the 2004 Olympic Marathon Trials champion, used a run from behind strategy to win his third cross country title over a field that included three other past champions. Kastor, the 2004 Olympic Marathon bronze medalist, took the lead early to make quick work of an equally strong women's field to win her eighth championship.
The event also served as the trials race to select the the USA squad that will compete at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships, to be held in Mombasa, Kenya on 24 March.
Patience pays off for Culpepper - men's race
2005 champion Dathan Ritzenhein charged to an early lead in the men's race, opening a nine second gap over multiple USA Cross Country champion Adam Goucher at half way, with Culpepper another six seconds behind his former Colorado teammate.
Moving into the final four kilometers, Culpepper began a push that would take him past Goucher and Ritzenhein by the 9Km mark and from there was able to enjoy winning the title in his hometown.
"This is really special," said Culpepper. "I almost came to tears down the last straight seeing all the fans. This is where Shayne and I started our marriage, and this is where my running made a big step forward. I felt like I owed it to Boulder to run well today-they've been so supportive of Shayne and I. The way this community supports us is truly amazing."
Goucher overtook Ritzenhein to capture the runner-up spot in 37:35 with Ritzenhein finishing 12 seconds later for third. Also qualifying for the Team USA Cross Country squad were Jorge Torres, Michael Spence, Zach Sabatino, Fasil Bizuneh, James Carney, and Jason Lehmkuhle.
Solo performance for Kastor - women's race
In the women's race, Kastor and two-time USA Cross Country 4Km champion Shalane Flanagan separated themselves from the field immediately but Kastor was on her own for the majority of the race after dispatching Flanagan at the first kilometre mark.
"It felt good to get back to cross country - I haven't run a cross country race since 2003," said Kastor. "I was a little scared because of my lack of cross country racing. But as soon as we got to the starting line, I felt that excitement once again from years back. It's a different burn that I felt today versus the marathon. I put my heart and soul out there, and I didn't have much left at the end."
Flanagan was timed in 27:48 for the runner-up spot, with Kara Goucher rounding out the top three in 28:01. Rounding out the qualifiers for the women's Team USA Cross Country squad was Lauren Fleshman, Renee Metivier, and Elva Dryer.
Heath, Hasay take junior titles
In the junior men's 8Km race, Elliot Heath of Winona, Minnesota pulled away from the field with three kilometre to go, running 26:07 to win the men's junior title. Also qualifying to represent the U.S. in Mombasa were Kenny Klotz, Matthew Tebo, Ryan McNiff, Noel Bateman, and Joshua Edmonds.
In the junior women's 6Km contest, rising star Jordan Hasay of Arroyo Grande, California ran away from the rest of the field to capture the title in 21:44 and qualify for her first Team USA Cross Country spot. Additional team qualifiers included Bona Jones, Kari Hardt, Aurora Scott, Jocelyn Burke, and Aislinn Ryan.
The 2007 USA Cross Country Championships will be televised in the USA in association with the Tyson Invitational on Sunday 11 February from 1-3 p.m. (Eastern) on ESPN 2.
Jim Estes (USATF) for the IAAF
