Posted: May 28, 2005

Athletics: Strong 10-Ks Kick Off U.S. Open On Sunday

From David Monti

© 2005 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved RaceResultsWeekly.com

By Bob Ramsak

Just a few hours after Kenenisa Bekele's purported attempt on his world record in the 10,000 meters in Hengelo, Netherlands, fast races at the distance are promised when the Payton Jordan U.S. Open gets underway in Palo Alto, Calif., Sunday night.

Ethiopians Gebre Gebremariam and Dejene Berhanu headline the men's race that organizers hope will challenge the U.S. All-Comers record of 27:04.20, set by Kenyan Abraham Chebii in 2001 on the same Stanford track. The 20-year-old Gebremarian has a personal best of 26:53.73 in the event, and was fourth last year in the Olympic 5000 meter final. Berhanu, who has a 12:54.13 best in the 5000 on the track to his credit, won his third consecutive Carlsbad 5000 title on April 3.

In the women's race, Ethiopian Werknesh Kidane returns to regain the title she won in 2003 when she set the current U.S. All-comers record of 30:41:40. Later that summer she captured the silver medal at the world championships, with a PB 30:07.15, finished fourth at last year's Olympic Games, and was a double medallist at this year's IAAF World Cross Country Championships.

The 5000 is also scheduled for Sunday night. Another Ethiopian, Markos Geneti, leads the men's field in the 5000 that also features a strong domestic cast, including Jorge Torres, Bolota Asmerom and Tim Broe. The women's field includes Lauren Fleshman, Laura O'Neill and Kara Goucher, and Briton Catherine Berry. The World Championships "A" standards in the events are 13:21.50 and 27:49.00 for the men; 15:08.70 and 31:40.00 for the women.

Monday afternoon's main program includes both the 800 and 1500 for men and women along with the men's 3000 meter steeplechase. In the 800, 2003 world indoor champion David Krummenacker will make his first start of the year, where he'll face U.S. Olympian Derrick Peterson and Canadian Olympic Gary Reed.

The men's 1500 features Kenyans Paul Korir and Laban Rotich and Americans Rob Myers and Bryan Berryhill. Rachid Ramzi of Bahrain, who last year ended Hicham El Guerrouj's win streak, is on the start list as well. The women's 1500 includes Americans Carrie Tollefson and Jen Toomey, Meskerem Legesse of Ethiopia, and Jamaican Kenia Sinclair.

The meet will be broadcast on ESPN2 on Monday night from 10:00-11:30 p.m. eastern.