US 25k's: 3 mins. slower than Berlin WR same day

USATF, GRAND RAPIDS - Andrew Carlson (Flagstaff, Ariz.) captured his second career USA title as Katie McGregor (Saint Louis Park, Minn.) took her second road title for 2010 Saturday at the USA 25 km Championships in Grand Rapids, Mich. Carlson led all competitors in the race which included international athletes, running 1:14:42. McGregor took third overall behind Firehinot Dado of Ethiopia and Genoveva Kigen of Kenya, running 1:26:24 for the U.S. women's crown. Dado won overall in 1:23:46, with Kigen second in 1:24:53.

Cold, breezy conditions met the field at the start as the Fifth Third River Bank Run hosted the championships for the 17th year. Passing the first mile in 4:46, Carlson, the 2008 USA 15 km champion was comfortably tucked into a lead pack of 15 men that included training partners Brett Gotcher (Flagstaff, Ariz.) and Nick Arciniaga (Flagstaff, Ariz.), as well as defending overall champion Isaak Kimaiyo of Kenya and U.S. contenders, Jason Hartmann (Boulder, Colo.) and Josh Eberly (Gunnison, Colo.).

By eight miles the pack was reduced to six men with Hartmann and Gotcher sharing the majority of the pacing duties. Going up a short hill approaching 10 miles, Carlson took command of the lead, breaking up the lead pack as only Gotcher tried to keep pace.

A 4:40 mile from 10 to 11 saw Carlson pull away from Gotcher, sending him on his way to a 24 second win over his training partner. Arciniaga took third in 1:15:18 as Hartmann and Eberly rounded out a U.S. sweep of the top-five in 1:15:38 and 1:15:54 respectively.

In the women's race, Dado and Kigen pulled away from McGregor early, building a 10 second lead by the first mile. Despite running on her own most of the way, McGregor easily won her second 25 km title by 2:39 over Samia Akbar (Herndon, Va.). Akbar was timed in 1:29:03, while Dot McMahan (Rochester Hills Mich.) rounded out the top three in 1:30:08.