Kastor Dethrones McGregor And Becomes Ten Kilometer Queen
Deena Kastor, the thirty-four year old Olympic bronze medalist, had succeeded in winning against thirty year old Katie McGregor, who had supposedly been holding the title of defending champion of the Tufts Health Plan 10K for the past two years. As of Monday, the eighth of October 2007, California local Kastor has become the USA Women's 10 kilometer Champion, running a time of thirty-two minutes and one second at the Tufts Health Plan 10K. The Tufts Health Plan 10K, held in Boston and host to more than seven thousand running women, was chosen by USA Track and Field to be the last race of this year's women's USA Running Circuit. The victory had reportedly put marathon record holder Kastor up to sevnty-five points, making her (without question) the winner of the 2007 USA Women's 10 Kilometer Championships.
Both McGregor and Kastor gave the race an explosive beginning, immediately pulling ahead of their other opponents within the first eight hundred meters. By the first mile, however, Kastor had established a five second lead over Minnesota-based McGregor. By her second five minute mile, Kastor had stretched her lead to fifteen seconds, and her sustained run through Memorial Drive inevitably secured her forty second win against the 10 kilometer defending champion. McGregor, who had finished the race with a time of thirty-two minutes and forty-one seconds, had come in second for that race. Third place had gone to Colorado girl Elva Dryer, who also happens to be this year's USA Half-Marathon champion. Dryer had a running time of thirty-two minutes and fifty-three seconds.
The results of the race marked the conclusion and final rankings of the 2007 USA Women's 10 Kilometer Championships, with Kastor coming in first, thirty-seven year old Dryer placing second, and third place shared between McGregor and Arizona's Alicia Shay, who is also this year's USA 20 kilometer champion.
Next week Kastor, along with Shay, McGregor and Michigan's Desiree Davila (who had come in sixth) will be Team USA at the IAAF World Road Running Championships to be held in Udine, Italy. Kastor is also one of the first two female distance runners who have announced their intention to participate in the 2008 US Olympic Team Trials, the other being Colorado's Colleen De Reuck.
