SacTown 10

April 1, 2012
For immediate release

Tesfaye Alemayehu took control from the start. Jane Kibii waited for mile 7 to deliver her convincing move.

Both strategies worked on a sunny Sunday morning, with Alemayehu and Kibii winning individual titles in the second annual Credit Union SACTOWN Ten-Mile Run.

The race raised more than $140,000 for the Children’s Miracle Network, which includes UC Davis Children’s Hospital, through donations from credit unions in the western U.S. and a runner’s pledge program.

Alemayehu, a 28-year-old Ethiopian living in Antioch, finished in 47 minutes and 34 seconds, well ahead of  runner-up Carlos Trujillo of Middleton, Idaho, who crossed the line in 48:04. Sergio Reyes of Palmdale finished third in 48:25.

Ryan Bak of Bend. Ore. grabbed fourth in 48:42, with Craig Leon of Eugene, Ore. placing fifth in 49:33.
 
“It was good,” Alemayehu said of the race, which started and finished at the state Capitol and passed through midtown and east Sacramento.

“The course is very flat … Sometimes when I’d get to a corner, I’d look back.”

And see he had plenty of breathing room. The 2011 Miami Marathon champion cruised back to the state Capitol without a serious challenge.

Kibii, a 27-year-old Kenyan who lives in Auburn, didn’t have that luxury, racing with Yiou Wang of Mill Valley until surging around the seven-mile mark on M Street in east Sacramento.

“We went together all the way to seven miles,” said Kibii, who finished in 56:53. “She was really strong.

“I’m so happy. It’s a beautiful course.”

Wang finished 34 seconds back in 57:27, with Nicole Camp of Willowick, Ohio third in 58:31. Roseville’s Lindsay Nelson, a member of the Sacramento Running Association’s Elite Team, placed fourth in 58:33, followed by San Francisco’s Michelle Meyer in 59:27.

“I didn’t have the (leg) turnover to respond to the surge,” Wang said. “I could see her (Kibii) the whole rest of the race.

“The roads were nice and flat. I even liked the rollers we got. The weather today was perfect.

“I liked all the turns. I didn’t get bored … I thought it was beautiful.”

The race, put on by the Sacramento Running Association, received a big boost last August when the Credit Union Association signed on as the title sponsor. The Credit Union Association also sponsors the Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Run held Sunday in Washington, D.C. and is a big supporter of the Children’s Miracle Network.

“The Credit Union SACTOWN Ten-Mile Run committee is very happy with the inaugural version of the race,” said committee chairman John Pamer.

“It’s been a beautiful day, a perfect day for running.”

The race, which served as USA Track and Field’s Pacific Association Championship, carried a purse of $15,000 and attracted close to 1,050 runners for the 10-mile run and the three-person relay.

Last year’s race drew 528 runners.

The event also included more than a dozen runners who competed in the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in January.

“We are really pleased with the way the race turned out,” race director Michelle La Sala  said. “We’re grateful for our partnership with the Credit Union Association and looking forward to bigger things to come.”

Cara Cooper, a St. Francis High School junior who credits treatment she received at UC Davis with helping her recover from the H1N1 virus (swine flu), sang the national anthem.

“I’m so excited to help out and so happy to be here,” Cooper said.

Other Sacramento Running Association events include the Lake Natoma Four Bridges Half Marathon on Oct. 28, the California International Marathon on Dec. 2 and the recently concluded Super Bowl Sunday 10K Run.

The Sacramento Running Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to finding ways to encourage people of all ages and abilities to run. The SRA is committed to developing new, quality running events that appeal to a broad variety of runners.

SRA beneficiaries include the American River Parkway, youth fitness programs, local running venues and aspiring young runners.