Chebii pulls away to win
Inspired Chelimo takes title, too
For someone professing to be only “75 percent” fit, Daniel Chebii didn’t appear to be in too much distress yesterday morning as he pulled away from fellow Kenyan Stephen Sambu down the stretch along Charles Street to successfully defend his BAA 10K title.
Chebii, who won his U.S. road racing debut at this same event a year ago when he clocked a 27:55, crossed the finish tape adjacent to Boston Common in a nearly identical 27:58.
Sambu, a former AllAmerican at the University of Arizona, was five seconds back in second place. He won the BAA 10K in both 2013 and ’14.
“I was very happy because I am not fully fit, only about 75 percent,” Chebii said. “I have been getting treatments for my (right) calf three times a week.”
Sambu said he was bothered by the humidity, although the conditions, which greeted the 8,143 runners for the 8 a.m. start featured a temperature of 65 degrees amid sunsplashed skies.
“The pace was fine,” Sambu said. “I was feeling comfortable but after 5 kilometers I could feel the heat. With about 150 meters to go, he pulled away. My legs weren’t feeling right.”
Two-time U.S. Olympian Dathan Ritzenhein did most of the pace-setting, covering opening mile splits of 4:29, 4:33, 4:41 and 4:27, but that effort ultimately took a toll. He wound up fourth for a second straight year, timed in 28:09, four seconds behind third-place finisher Teshome Mekonen of Ethiopia.
“It was like deja vu from last year, the exact same race, basically (when he ran a 28:12),” Ritzenhein said. “I got the same place, about the same time, and I led in abut the same parts of the race, and I finished about the same distance back.”
The women’s crown went to Joan Chelimo, who pulled away from fellow Kenyan and 2014 winner Mary Wacera and thirdplace finisher Buze Diriba of Ethiopia to win in 31:24. The news that training partners Agnes Tirop and Irene Cheptai qualified two days ago for the upcoming World Outdoor Track and Field Championships in London boosted Chelimo.
“I felt I had to win,” Chelimo said.
Chebii and Chelimo each earned $10,000 from the total prize package of $48,500 provided by principal race sponsor Brigham & Women’s Hospital.
With Marblehead native and defending champion Shalane Flanagan, who set an American record (30:52) with her win last year in the BAA 10K, instead attending the USA Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Ore., where she finished fourth at 10K (31:31:12), former Boston University star Katie Matthews was the top U.S. finisher on the women’s side in seventh place (33:28).
“I really tried to grit it out because it was a hot day,” Matthews said. “I was taking water at every stop, trying to cool myself off. I’ve been running in this humidity the past few weeks, so it wasn’t anything worse than that. This field is so elite internationally, a lot of the races that I do are usually U.S. championships, so this allows me to kind of see where I can be in some of the more international fields.”
Meb Keflezighi, the 2014 Boston Marathon champion, captured the master’s division in 31:01.
“It’s good to be back in Boston,” Keflezighi said.