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Micah Kogo and Catherine Ndereba top the field at 35h Annual CIGNA Falmouth Road Race

Kogo wins his inaugural Falmouth
Ndereba claims her fourth title

Catherine Ndereba captures her 4th win in the 2007 CIGNA Falmouth Road Race. Photo: Victah Sailer.

FALMOUTH, Mass. – Micah Kogo of Kenya led a record 8,900 plus runners across the finish line at the CIGNA Falmouth Road Race. In his first attempt the 21-year old Kenyan clocked 31:53, averaging a 4:33 mile, and finishing 20 seconds ahead of another first-time Falmouth competitor and U.S. Olympic marathon silver medalist Mebrahtom "Meb" Keflezghi of Mammouth Lakes, Calif. who followed in 32:13. This year's time was off Gilbert Okari's 2004 course record of 31:08.

Kenyan Olympic marathon silver medalist Catherine Ndereba, age 35, captured her fourth Falmouth title in 36:31, nine seconds ahead of 34 year-old Romanian, Luminta Talpos and one minute 29 seconds off of Lornah Kiplagat's 2004 record. Twenty-seven-year-old Kate O'Neill from Mammouth Lakes, Calif. and Milton, Mass. native, finished third in 36:52.

Among the top 12 male finishers, Kenyans took seven places while Americans took four. On the women's side, Americans took five of the top 12 places. Crystal blue skies and temperatures hovering near 80 degrees greeted the field at the Woods Hole start line where the pre-race celebration included a flyover by a rescue helicopter from the U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod at Otis Air Force Base accompanied by a A-10 "Warthog" from the 104th Fighter Wing at Barnes Air National Guard Base, Westfield, Mass. A record 8,955 runners traversed the scenic 7-mile course from Woods Hole to Falmouth Heights.

At the Nobska Light mile one split, a group of 18 – 20 men ran a conservative 4:42. Leaders included Kogo, Keflezghi, and Nelson Kiplagat. Over the shaded rolling course, between miles one and two, the men's pack picked up the pace, passing mile two in 9:18, a 4:35 split. At the two-mile water station, Fernando Cabada, of Bristol, Va. made a move to the front that was swiftly covered by the pack. As the leaders broke out of the woods and onto Surf Drive, the pack thinned to 11 led by Kogo, Keflezghi and Kiplagat. At mile three the leaders posted a solid time of 13:53 with another 4:35 split. The three leaders passed mile 4 in 18:20 picking up the pace with a 4:27 split and mile 5 in 22:50, with a 4:30 split.

Turning onto Scranton Avenue along Falmouth Harbor, Kiplagat fell off the pace set by Kogo and Keflezghi. Moments later, Kogo threw in a surge which Keflezghi could not cover. Kogo pulled away smoothly passing 6 miles in 27:20 on his way to the win followed by Keflezghi and Kiplagat.

Micah Kogo pulls away from Keflezighi and Kiplagat as they approached the 6th mile. Photo: Clay Shaw

From the start through mile three, the women's lead pack included the Romanian, Talpos, Americans O'Neill and Sarah Slattery. Shadowing the leaders was Ndereba. Places changed little until mile five when Ndereba made her seemingly effortless move, never challenged. Following Ndereba, Talpos and O'Neill across the finish line were Nataliya Berkut of the Ukraine and Americans Alicia Shay and Slattery.

Michelle Simonaitis, of Draper, Utah collected prize money in two women's divisions, when she won Masters Women's Division and simultaneously placed 9th overall American woman in 40:12. Maria Servin, 44, of Mexico finished second 41:53. Moroccan, Elarbi Khattabi, 40, won the Men's Masters Division in 35:24. Dennis Simonaitis, 45, husband of the Masters Women's champion, finished second in 35:35.

Patrick Doak, 39, of Saratoga Springs N.Y., cut 44 seconds off his 2006 winning time defending his Men's Wheelchair title in 25:52. Four-time winner, Tony Nogueira, finished second in 26:54. Jessica Galli, 23, of Savoy, Ill. won the Women's Wheelchair Division for the third time in 30:38, besting two-time Falmouth champion, April Coughlin, 28, of New York, N.Y. who finished in 35:48.

Among notable Falmouth finishers this year were three-time Falmouth winner Bill Rodgers, age 59, of Sherborn, Mass., 48:04, two-time winner Frank Shorter, age 59, of Boulder, Colo., and six-time Falmouth winner, Joan Benoit Samuelson, age 50 of Freeport, Me., who finished 25th overall in the Women's Division with a time of 41:56. Suni Williams, age 41 of Seabrook TX, the astronaut who, during her six months in space completed the Boston Marathon, ran today with a time of 57:30. Forty-three-year-old Colleen DeReuck, two-time Falmouth winner, ran her first steps in nine months after delivering baby daughter, Tara a mere five and half weeks ago. Colleen took advantage of this year's leisurely pace taking in the cheering crowds and work of the thousands of course volunteers.

This year marked CIGNA's second title sponsorship. Karen S. Rohan, president of CIGNA Group and Dental Insurance finished her 10th consecutive race.

CIGNA provides group, disability, life and accident coverage in the U.S. The organization is one of the top-five providers in disability management and insurance with solutions that focus on helping employees return to a productive work life as quickly and safely as possible.