Sunday, February 25, 2007

Ekiden Squad Second at Yokohama

USA Track and Field reports that the USA team finished second at the Yokohama International Women's Ekiden today. Defending champions Russia won the marathon-length event in 2:14:48 with the USA clocking 2:16:04. The host Japanese were a fast-closing third in 2:16:07.

The runner-up finish is the best-ever for the USA at Yokohama.

Team USA Minnesota's Katie McGregor and Carrie Tollefson were members of the all-star USA team which also included Deena Kastor, Jen Rhines, Amy Rudolph, and Elva Dryer. Tollefson ran her 6K leg, the third of the event, in 19:30. McGregor clocked 32:59 for the fifth-leg 10K, defeating 2004 Olympic Marathon silver medalist Catherine Ndereba of Kenya in the process.

Results from the race web-site are here, though a reading knowledge of Japanese is helpful.

Update: Story and results from the IAAF.

And More: Story from Running USA Wire.

Photo courtesy of Team USA Minnesota. From left: Kastor, Tollefson, McGregor, Rudolph, Rhines, alternate Jenny Crain and Dryer.

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