WORLD LEADER FOR BEGLEY AT BRUTUS HAMILTON INVITATIONAL
By David Monti
(c) 2010 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved - used with permission

Amy Begley of Portland, Ore., ran a world-leading 8:53.73 for 3000m at last night's New York Road Runners Distance Carnival at the Brutus Hamilton Invitational meeting at Edwards Stadium at the University of California at Berkeley.  Begley, a 2008 Olympian at 10,000m, clocked the fastest time on U.S. soil in nearly two years.  Her mark was also an outdoor personal best for the 32 year-old.

Canada's Malindi Elmore finished second in 8:57.97, and Japan's Yuriko Kobayashi, who had hoped to challenge Kayoko Fukushi's national record of 8:44.40, faded in the closing laps to finish third in 9:01.39.  Eight women broke 9:15.00 in the race.

In other action, Olympian Galen Rupp opened his outdoor season with a controlled 13:32.53 victory in the 5000m.  Rupp, 23, who used the race as a tune-up for his U.S. 10,000m record attempt at the Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational next Saturday at Stanford University, beat Mexico's Juan Carlos Romero (13:34.27) and Japan's Kensuke Takezawa (13:47.30) who finished second and third, respectively.

Results of the men's 10,000m were impacted by unusually strong winds, and hopes of a 27:40 race were dashed.  Japan's Yuki Sato of the Nissin team did best, winning the race in 28:27.93.  His compatriots Yuta Takahashi and Takeshi Makabe finished second and third, respectively, in 28:36.86
and 28:40.23.  American Brett Gotcher, who ran an impressive 2:10:36 marathon debut at Houston last January, dropped out.

The two-day meet continues today. 

ENDS