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Mathew Kimeli and Senbere Teferi were dominant victors at the UAE Healthy Kidney 10-K

Ethiopia’s 2015 world 5000m silver medallist Senbere Teferi won in a course record of 30:59 ahead of Kenya’s Monicah Ngige (31:52) and Ethiopia’s Buze Diriba (32:20).

Mathew Kimeli, who owns the event’s second-fastest ever mark with his runner-up run at the 2018 edition of the race (27:19), this time clocked 27:45 to win.

Ethiopia’s Girma Bekele Gerba placed second with a time of 28:07 and Kenya’s Edwin Kibichiy was third with a time of 28:21.

Winning by 22 and 53 seconds in 27:45 and 30:59, respectively. Kimeli, a 21-year-old Kenyan who represents adidas, improved on last year's runner-up finish, cruised the second half of the race solo.  Teferi, a 23-yer-old Ethiopian who also runs for adidas, set a new event record, the first sub-31:00 in the 15-year history of the event which raises money for kidney disease research and treatment.

A year ago, Kimeli and training partner Rhonex Kipruto worked together in pursuit of the Central Park record and the $30,000 bonus that came with it. Kipruto took home the paycheck for his 27:08 victory, while Kimeli finished second in 27:19. He returned to New York as the pre-race favorite and acted like it, immediately moving to the front of the lead pack from the start.

Through the first mile (4:31), Kimeli was joined by fellow Kenyan James Ngandu, Gabriel Geay of Tanzania and Girma Bekele Gebre, a New York-based Ethiopian. Kimeli ratcheted up the pace with a 4:20 second mile, first dropping Ngandu before Geay also started to struggle to maintain contact. Running the tangents of the curved roadway with precision, Kimeli dropped Gebre as the course climbed the steep Harlem Hill at the north end of the park. Between 3 miles (13:14) and 5 kilometers (13:45) Kimeli accelerated sharply and broke away.

"I could see that he was going to challenge me on the hill, so I decided that was the time to push it," Kimeli told Race Results Weekly.

At the certified 8-kilometer split (22:08) Kimeli's lead had grown to 17 seconds and his only competition was coming from the clock. The demanding course took its toll, however, as he split 14:00 for the second 5-K to reach the finish in 27:45, still the sixth fastest time in race history.

"The course is good, but today I didn't have a challenger so that maybe we could push together," Kimeli said. "I was comfortable, although I didn't have anybody to support me, other than the [cameraman's] motorbike. The spectators cheered for me and that helped. Maybe next year I'll try to set a new course record."

Gebre crossed the line second in 28:07, while Edwin Kibichiy of Kenya, the 2017 NCAA champion in the steeplechase for the University of Louisville, moved up for third in 28:21. Another Kenyan, Dominic Korir (28:24), and Geay (28:43) rounded out the top five.

Teferi, a week away from her 24th birthday and in her United States racing debut, made an aggressive bid for the Central Park record, Lornah Kiplagat's 30:44 set at the 2002 NYRR New York Mini 10-K. She broke away from Kenya's Monicah Ngige early in the race, attacking the early miles. By halfway (15:31), the record seemed out of her reach, but Teferi continued to press.

Indeed, she covered the second half even faster (15:28) to break the tape in 30:59. Although she missed Kiplagat's mark, she was well under the previous event record of 31:17, set by Joyce Chepkirui of Kenya in 2014.

"I was trying to break the record, but there were a lot of hills at the beginning and by 2 kilometers I knew I was off the pace," said Teferi through a translator, who owns a pair of IAAF World Championships silver medals from 2015 in cross country and the 5000 meters. "I kept on trying after that, I didn't give up hope. I didn't succeed, but I was trying."

Ngige, who finished third in this race the past two years, held on for second in 31:52. Defending champion Buze Diriba of Ethiopia was third in 32:20, followed by Risper Gesabwa (33:26) of Mexico and New Yorker Harriott Kelly (34:19).

Kimeli and Teferi both earned $10,000 first-place prizes (part of a $60,000 purse) in the New York Road Runners-organized event, which featured 7696 official finishers.

(04/29/2019) Views: 2,564 ⚡AMP
by Rich Sands

Defending Champions Diriba and Mathew Kimeli are set for the 15th Annual UAE Healthy Kidney 10K

Defending women’s champion Buze Diriba of Ethiopia and last year’s men’s runner-up Mathew Kimeli of Kenya will lead the professional athlete field at the 15th running of the UAE Healthy Kidney 10K in Central Park on Sunday, April 28.

In total, 16 athletes representing six countries will chase the $10,000 first-place prizes, leading 8,000 runners through Central Park on race day. In addition to the $60,000 total prize money, runners will vie for the $30,000 Zayed Bonus awarded by the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in honor of former UAE president Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al-Nahyan.

The bonus prize will be given to any man who breaks 27:08 (Rhonex Kipruto, 2018 UAE Healthy Kidney 10K) and/or any woman who breaks 30:44 (Lornah Kiplagat, 2002 NYRR New York Mini 10K).

“For 15 years, the UAE Healthy Kidney 10K has showcased many of the world’s top runners,” said NYRR head of professional athletics Chris Weiller. “Last year, we saw the fastest-ever 10K on U.S. soil when Rhonex Kipruto broke the course record and picked up the $30,000 Zayed Bonus in the process.

Now, his teammate and last year’s runner-up, Mathew Kimeli, will lead the way for the men’s field while Buze Diriba will look to defend her title against some of the running world’s top women.”  

 Diriba, 25, won last year’s race in 32:04 just weeks after a sprint-finish victory at the United Airlines NYC Half. This year, she finished third at the United Airlines NYC Half. Earlier in her career, Diriba took first place over 5000 meters at the 2012 IAAF World Junior Championships, and the following year finished fifth in the same event in her debut at the senior IAAF World Championships. She was fifth in her first UAE Healthy Kidney 10K appearance in 2016.

“I’m excited to defend my title at the UAE Healthy Kidney 10K in Central Park, a place that has been very kind to me the last few years. I won two races in Central Park last year and am still looking for my first victory there this year after finishing third at the United Airlines NYC Half. With such a tough women’s field this year, maybe we will see the event record.

 Diriba will have stiff competition from two-time world championships silver medalist Senbere Teferi and 2017 and 2018 UAE Health Kidney 10K third-place finisher Monicah Ngige.

Kimeli, 21, will be the fastest athlete at the start line of the race with a personal-best 10K time of 27:11 which he clocked at the 2017 Birell Grand Prix in Prague.

(04/23/2019) Views: 2,116 ⚡AMP

Let's understand how fast 18-year-old Phonex Kipruto ran today in Central Park

From the starting horn at the 14th UAE Healthy Kidney 10K run in Central Park in New York City today April 29, two runners—Kenyan training partners Rhonex Kipruto and Mathew Kimeli—set off to chase the bonus prize money, in addition to competing for the $10,000 first-place prize.

Passing the 5K split in approximately 13:39, the two were on track to break the event record, and they would only pick up the pace from there. 

On the fourth mile, the 18-year-old Kipruto began to pull away from Kimeli, and he reached the 8-kilometer checkpoint in a world-best time of 21:45, breaking the previous mark by 17 seconds. Kipruto would then lower the UAE Healthy Kidney 10K event record by 27 seconds, crossing the finish line in 27:08; that time is also the fastest in the world this year to date, the fastest road 10K ever run in the United States on a record-eligible course, and the seventh-fastest road 10K of all-time (also on a record-eligible course). Kimeli would finish second in 27:19. 

This is a New York Road Runners event.  Prior to this race, Phonex finished 3rd at the Birell 10K last September in Prague clocking 27:13.

(04/29/2018) Views: 3,937 ⚡AMP

The world’s fastest 10k on the roads was run this morning in New York City, Phonex Kipruto clocked 27:08

Kenya’s Phonex Kipruto, just 18 clocked the fastest 10K on the roads in the world over the last 12 months and runs the fastest time ever on US soil.  He ran 27:08 in New York City this morning at the UAE Healthy Kidney 10K.  This is an annual race organized by the New York Road Runners, with support from the UAE Embassy in Washington, DC, to benefit the National Kidney Foundation. Phonex hit the 5K mark in 13:38, 8K at 21:43.  His second 5k was run eight seconds faster than his first.  Mathew Kimeli placed second in 27:19.  Buze Diriba (ETH) out sprinted Aselefech Mergia (ETH) to win the women's race by one second.  Her time was 32:04. (04/29/2018) Views: 1,984 ⚡AMP

A world class elite field set for the UAE Healthy Kidney 10K Sunday

In Central Park on Sunday, April 29, will be headlined by Ethiopia’s Buze Diriba, the 2018 United Airlines NYC Half Champion, and USA’s Laura Thweatt, the top American woman at the 2015 TCS New York City Marathon and 2017 Virgin Money London Marathon. In total, 13 athletes representing five countries will chase the $10,000 first-place prizes, leading 8,000 runners through Central Park on race day.  “We are thrilled to have a world-class group of professional distance runners join us in Central Park this year, with Buze returning after winning here just over a month ago and Laura racing for her first time in New York City after coming back from a year-long of injury rehab,” said Peter Ciaccia, president of events for New York Road Runners and race director of the TCS New York City Marathon. “NYRR has a successful long-standing partnership with the UAE to put on this race since 2005, and we are excited to team up with them again to bring in this strong group of professional athletes who viewers around the world will be able to watch on USATF.TV.” (04/23/2018) Views: 1,875 ⚡AMP