FLINT (8/26/06) - Entering the Crim 10-Mile, defending women's champ Alevtina Ivanova, 31, of Russia, had won this year's Border Uptown 8K in Texas, Parkersburg Half Marathon in West Virginia, Falmouth 7.05- Mile Road Race in Massachusetts and other major U.S. races. Samuel Kosgei, 20, of Kenya, had never run a road race in the United States. Both, however, knew the secret to winning in Flint this year: Run really, really fast. And don't get beat on the bricks over the last 100 yards!

Kosgei blazed a time of 46:50, the fastest on this course since 2003. Ivanova sprinted through women's race in 53:07, 27 seconds faster then her winning time last year.

Both had plenty of speed - and they didn't stumble on the Saginaw Street bricks either. Kosgei beat his closest rival in the 8,252-runner field by 22 seconds, while Ivanova won her race by 19 seconds.

Top Michigan finishers were Dot McMahon, 9th, 59:21 and Jeff Gaudette, 14th, 49:47.
Altogether, the 30th annual Crim Festival of Races enjoyed a record turnout of 15,367 runners, walkers, wheelers and handcyclists. Of this year's $42,550 purse, Kosgei and Ivanova took home $5,000 each.

The day started well for Kosgei. At the three-mile mark, the Kenyan - who described the race as "easy, very easy" - broke away from a pack that consisted of about a dozen other Kenyans.

He opened a sizable lead initially, but Wilson Chebet, 21, closed that gap a bit toward the end of the race. Chebet finished in 47:12, with Ernest Meli, 19, taking third in 47:32.

Michigan's own Paul Aufdemberge won the Master's title for the second straight year in 50:35.
Not far off the lead pace in 21st overall, Paul Aufdemberge, 41, of Redford, captured the masters crown for the second-straight year in 50:35. Last year, Aufdemberge ran 52:51.

Ivanova raced most of the 10-mile shoulder-to-shoulder with Asmae Leghzaoui. Last year, Leghzaoui, 29, from Morocco, bolted to a monster lead early, then faded and dropped out.

This year, Ivanova, Leghzaoui and Lineth Chepkuru, 18, of Kenya, stayed together through the Bradley hills, with all three going through the five-mile split in 26:24.

Ivanova and Leghzaoui then pulled away and stayed together till the final mile, when Ivanova made her move. Leghzaoui took second in 53:26, Chepkuru third in 54:01. Tatyana Pozdnyakova, 51, of the Ukraine , was masters queen with a time of 59:01.

Alevtina Ivanova, no. 41, defended her Crim 10 Mile title with a 53:07. Lineth Kepchuru (behind Ivanova) was third in 54:01; Asme Leghzaoui finished second in 53:26.
Wearing Hansons-Brooks Distance Project singlets and shorts, Jeff Gaudette, 23, and Dot McMahan, 29, were the top state finishers. Gaudette, who timed 49:47, edged fellow Hansons star Marty Rosendahl, 28, by eight seconds.

"This was my first time running the Crim," said Gaudette. "My race plan was to go out easy for the first five miles, then really attack the hills.

"At five miles, our lead guy (Rosendahl) was 30 or 40 seconds ahead of me and I didn't think I would catch him," Gaudette continued. "But I ran with some Kenyans and passed him with a half-mile to go, then ran hard down the bricks."

Samuel Kosgei won his first road race in the US with a Crim 10 Mile 46:50.
McMahan checked in at 59:21, ahead of Denisa Costescu, 30, of Wixom (59:58), who gave birth to her first child just four months before this race.

"I started out kind of conservative," said McMahan. "I picked it up through the hills, looked up and saw Denisa ahead of me at about six miles. I caught and passed her with about a mile and a half to go."

Like Gaudette, McMahan was running Crim for the first time. "I grew up in Wisconsin hearing about the Crim, but I never made it over until this year," she said. "It was awesome!"

South African-born Krige Schabort, who now lives in Cedartown, Ga., won the wheelchair competition (38:34). Ian Rice, of Pittsburgh, was the top quadriplegic finisher (51:45).

Top Michigan finishers were Dot McMahon, 9th, 59:21 and Jeff Gaudette, 14th, 49:47.
Christy Campbell, of Kitchener, Ont., was the first female wheeler (1:29:27). Glen Ashlock, of Ann Arbor, won the handcycle race (35:33).

In the 8K, Cory Reed, 17, of West Point, N.Y., raced to big lead early and held off the Frontline Racing Team's Eric Green, 37, of Pontiac, for the overall victory. Reed timed 26:26 to Green's 26:41.

The women's race went to Danielle Hobbs, 24, of Shelby Township (31:16), with Kelsey Carmean, 17, of Ortonville, second (32:22).

"This is my first 8K ever," Hobbs said. "It was a little humid. The downhills were nice. The uphills were a little mean, though."

Tatyana Pozdnyakova, 51, of the Ukraine , was masters queen with a time of 59:01.
The 5K was won by Kyle Smith, 18, of Linden (15:41) and Ramzee Fondren, 16, of Detroit (19:32). The Crim also included a Teddy Bear Trot for kids.

The festival annually raises funds for local charities including Crim Youth Development, Shelter of Flint Inc., Area XIII Special Olympics and Fair Winds Girl Scouts. The Crim has helped raise more than $2 million for these charities.

For complete race results, go to www.Crim.org. MR