09-20-2009
Contact:
Jim Estes
Associate Director of LDR and Marketing
USA Track & Field
317-713-4661
PROVIDENCE - Matt Tegenkamp (Portland, Ore.) and Amy Yoder Begley (Portland, Ore.) won the respective men's and women's titles Sunday at the USA 5 km Championships in Providence, R.I. Tegenkamp, the U.S. champion at 5,000 meters on the track won his first U.S. road title in 13:57, as Begley, the 2009 USA 10,000 meter champion on the track and USA 15 km champion ran 15:27 to add the 5 km title to her collection of 2009 crowns.
As a field of more than 10,000 runners toured downtown Providence for the 20th annual CVS/Caremark Downtown 5K, the lead men's pack passed the first mile in 4:30 with Ben Bruce (Eugene, Ore.) leading defending champion Anthony Famiglietti (Knoxville, Tenn.), Tegenkamp, Bolota Asmerom (Oakland, Calif.), Jordan Horn (Flagstaff, Ariz.) and Ian Burrell (Flagstaff, Ariz.).
By two miles, the lead group had thinned to about ten men with Asmerom assuming the lead ahead of Famiglietti and Tegenkamp.
Making the final turn off Canal Street and up the only major hill on the course, Tegenkamp made his move around Famiglietti and Asmerom to kick to a one-second win over Asmerom. Famiglietti was timed in 13:59 for third as Horn and Burrell captured fourth and fifth in 13:59 and 14:01 respectively.
In the women's race, Jen Rhines (Mammoth Lakes Calif.) led a deep field of women through the first mile in 4:54. As the lead women passed two miles in 9:50, the contenders were narrowed down to Begley, Rhines, Rebecca Donaghue (State College, Pa.) and Sara Hall (Mammoth Lakes, Calif.).
With about 800 meters to go, Begley made her move but Donaghue and Rhines held on until Begley made one last push at three miles to pull clear for the title. Donaghue managed to hold off Rhines by one second for the runner-up position, running 15:30. Hall took fourth in 15:33 as Katie McGregor (Saint Louis Park, Minn.) finished fifth in 15:50.
About the USARC
The USA 5 km Championships was the eighth stop on the 2009 USA Running Circuit (USARC) and will pay $30,000 in U.S. prize money with Tegenkamp and Begley taking home $5,000 for the respective men's and women's wins.
The 2009 USARC is a USA Track & Field road series featuring USA Championships from one mile to the marathon, which attracts the best U.S. distance runners. The 2009 USARC has ten events each for men and women. Magdalena Lewy Boulet currently leads the women's standings with 49 points, while Famiglietti (Knoxville, Tenn.) leads the men with 49 points.
The first ten U.S. runners earn points at each USARC race (15 for first, 12 for second, 10 for third, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1), with a final $12,500 grand prix purse ($6,000, $4,000, and $2,500) for the top three men and women point scorers overall. The USARC points at the USA Marathon Championships will be doubled.
The mission of the USA Running Circuit is to showcase, support, and promote U.S. runners. Since its inception in 1995, the USARC and its races have provided over $6 million dollars to U.S. distance runners.
For more information on the 2009 USA 5 km Championships visit www.usatf.org.
