The Equalizer

The TC 10 Mile offers more than prize money($12,000 for finishing first, $10,000 for second) A bonus called  the "Equalizer" pays an additional $10,000 for the man or woman who is the first to break the tape at the finish.  It's called the equalizer because the winner can be either a man or a woman.

The women are given a six plus minute head start and the men chase them in an effort to be the first to the finish and the overall champion of this "handicap" race.  (It's called a handicap as one gender(the women) has an advantage from the start that the men must overcome to collect the "winner take all" prize.

The photos below, were taken during the downhill stretch from the Cathedral to the finish, and illustrate the narrow margin of victory in the battle for the bonus.

The top three women heading toward the finish
Photo by Gene Niemi

Aliphine Tuliamuk(3rd place woman, bib # 20101). Woman's 10-mile champion Sara Hall(#2010). And Women's 10 mile runner up, Natosha Rogers(#20103) battle to get to the finish to be crowned the USATF 10-Mile female champion and, if they beat the men a "pot of gold" at the end of the "rainbow."

The men's lead pack sprint down the hill in an attempt to catch the women
Photo by Gene Niemi

The top two men catch the top two women.

Copyrighted Photo by Mike Scott

Shadrack Kipchirchir(#200006) edges Leonard Korir at the finish

Copyrighted Photo by Mike Scott