- Gebrekidan Abadi wins the half marathon for the men in 1:06:46
- Elvin Kibet beat her twin sister by 3 seconds in the women’s race finishing in 1:15:22
- Two-day running festival concludes with headliner concert by G. Love & Special Sauce
Although Colorado weather can be fickle in the fall, Mother Nature brought out her best running conditions in Denver on Sunday. More than 14,000 runners took to the streets of the Mile High City under blue skies and plenty of sunshine at the Transamerica Rock ‘n’ Roll Denver Half Marathon and 10K. The weekend also included a 5K race on Saturday morning.
The loop courses sent runners through downtown Denver and past the Pepsi Center, Coors Field and the 16th Street Mall, then through several of the city’s scenic parks that served up views of snowcapped mountains in the distance before finishing back at Civic Center Park. Runners were treated to live music and cheer crews all over the course and were greeted by the Denver Outlaw Dancers before a free post-race concert from G. Love & Special Sauce.
“It was a classic bluebird Colorado day,” said Denver’s Ed Grant, who ran the half marathon. “It was nice and cool in the morning, warm and sunny for all the festivities after the race.”
Ethiopian Gebrekidan Abadi, 32, who lives in the Denver area, won the race in 1:06:46, while Kenyan Elvin Kibet, 26, of Colorado Springs, won the women’s division in 1:15:22 by edging out her twin sister, Valentine Kibet by 3 seconds at the finish line.
Former Colorado School of Mines cross country runner Marty Andrie, 23, of Golden, Colo., finished second overall but won the USATF Colorado half marathon championship with a 1:07:43 finish. Emma Kenyon, a 28-year-old full-time pediatric nurse from Westminster, Colo., was the women’s state champion with a 1:25:36 effort.
“It means a lot to me to win this race,” Kenyon said. “I work full-time with three 12-hours shifts a week, so it can be time to find time to train consistently while I’m balancing a full-time job and life and racing. I really enjoy racing on my home turf and I wanted to get in a good race here. It was an amazing day for running.”
A check for $25,000 was donated to the American Heart Association thanks to five special runners. The Tomorrow Chasers started in the very back of the pack, and for each runner they passed, one dollar was donated by Transamerica. Additionally, over $75,000 was raised for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital through their team of St. Jude Heroes.
For more information, visit RunRocknRoll.com/Denver
RESULTS
Transamerica Rock ‘n’ Roll Denver Half Marathon
Men
1. Gebrekidan Abadi, 32, Aurora, Colo., 1:06:46
2. Marty Andrie, 23, Golden, Colo, 1:07:43
3. Sean Quigley, 31, Boulder, Colo., 1:08:35
Women
1. Elvin Kibet, 26, Colorado Springs, Colo., 1:15:22
2. Valentine Kibet, 26, Colorado Springs, 1:15:25
3. Alexis Wilbert, 31, Colorado Springs, 1:20:17
USATF Colorado Half Marathon Championship
Men
1. Marty Andrie, 23, Golden, Colo, 1:07:43
2. Sean Quigley, 31, Boulder, Colo., 1:08:35
3. Tyler McCandless, 30, Boulder, Colo., 1:09:20
Women
1. Emma Kenyon, 28, Westminster, Colo.,
2. Amy Lease, 63, Denver, 1:49:58
Transamerica Rock ‘n’ Roll Denver 10K
Men
1. Alejandro Jiminez, 29, Denver, 31:59
2. Brian Medigovich, 29, Chadron, Neb., 33:43
3. Eder Pina, 23, Gunnison, Colo., 34:12
Women
1. Krystalanne Curwood, 31, Boulder, Colo., 37:01
2. Amber Hoak, 25, Denver, 40:34
3. Marit Tegelaar, 25, Denver, 40:59
Contact:
Amana Miyamae, (970) 402-0390, [email protected]
Teyva Sammet, (831) 818-5945, [email protected]