Kenyans pace Austin 10/20

About 3,000 runners competed in the Austin 10/20 Sunday morning at the Domain, with a strong Kenyan contingent dominating the men’s field. Race organizer Peter Douglass said that it would be the final edition of the race, so named for the 10-mile distance and 20 bands along the route.

Under 67-degree overcast skies and a steady breeze, Kenya’s John Gathaiya outlegged countryman Paul Getembe for the victory. Former Texas A&M track and cross country standout Hillary Montgomery topped the women’s field, holding off Kenya’s Margaret Maina.

At the start, Mexico’s Jesus Torres moved to the front, setting a scorching pace of 4 minutes, 47 seconds per mile. But Gathaiya, a cagey runner, allowed Torres to break the wind, drafting him until mile three.

At that point, Gathaiya took the lead, and by the 10-kilometer mark (30:03), he had built a solid 200meter lead. Getembe passed 10K in 30:17, moving into second place ahead of Torres, who was a full 20 seconds back.

Gathaiya, who trains in Grand Prairie, broke the tape in 48:18, well ahead of Getembe’s 49:15. Torres pulled up in third, posting a 49:48. Kenyans Abinet Adraro (50:14) and Benjamin Metto (50:40) took fourth and fifth.

“The wind was very strong today,” Gathaiya said after the race.

In the women’s race, Maina, who lives in Dallas, set the early pace at 5:30 per mile and leading Montgomery at the 10K mark by some 15 seconds.

But Montgomery, averaging 5:39 a mile, made up the ground in the last 4 miles, building a 32-second lead on Maina by the finish — 56:32 to 57:04.

Bree Schrader took third in 1:03:00, ahead of Ethiopian Marta Markos in 1:01:15, with San Antonio’s Liza Hunter-Galvan rounding out the top five in 1:04:29.