COURSE RECORD, $20,000 BONUS FOR GEBREMARIAM AT HEALTHY KIDNEY 10-K
By David Monti
(c) 2010 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved - used with permission

NEW YORK (15-May) -- The 2009 IAAF World Cross Country champion Gebre Gebremariam ran the fastest-ever 10-K in Central Park here today, winning the 6th annual UAE Healthy Kidney 10-K in 27 minutes and 42 seconds.

Gebremariam, 25 from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, ran aggressively with Kenyan Peter Kamais, the 2010 NYC Half-Marathon champion, right from the gun.  The pair were under course record pace at the one-mile checkpoint (4:26) and through the first 5 km (13:47), where they had built a ten second lead over Kenyan Julius Kogo and Englishman Chris Thompson.

The duo ran together until there were 800 meters to go, and Gebremariam used his superior sprint speed to pull away from Kamais for good. Kamais ran 27:49, just one second slower than Tadese Tola's one year-old course record.  Kogo finished third (28:19) and Thompson fourth (28:25).

In addition to his first place prize of $7500, Gebremariam also won a special $20,000 bonus for breaking Tola's record.

"I wear number one because I am number one," Gebremariam joked, pointing at his bib number.

Abdi Abdirahman of Tucson, Ariz., was the top American, finishing sixth in 28:35.

Sponsored by the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates and benefiting the National Kidney Foundation, nearly 7800 runners finished the race today, an event record.  The runners were treated to near-perfect spring weather with bright sunshine and comfortably cool temperatures.

ENDS