Two weeks of results and no surprise that the Paris Olympics leads off this edition of the WEEKEND UPDATE of the best performances by Iowa-based collegiate and postcollegiate distance runners and triathletes.
Former Dowling Catholic prep Karissa Schweizer notched a pair of top-10 finishes to finish an outstanding week of efforts on the track at Stade de France north of Paris. On Aug. 5, the six-time Missouri NCAA champion became the fastest American woman ever in the 5,000 meters at the Olympics. Schweizer finished ninth in the final in 14 minutes, 45.57 seconds to place 10th in the final. Schweizer improved one position and just over 10 seconds from her performance at the Tokyo Games in 2021.
The current Nike Bowerman Track Club athlete and native of Urbandale passed teammate Elise Cranny on the final lap to finish as the top American. Kenya's Beatrice Chebet won the gold medal in 14:28.56.
Schweizer had qualified for the final with the eighth-best time, 14:59.64, in the first round on Friday.
On Friday in the 10,000 final, Schweizer ran a season-best time of 30:51.99 to place ninth. She improved improved three positions from her finish at the Tokyo Games in 2021. Schweizer also improved nearly 30 seconds on her 31:19.96 time in Tokyo during her Olympics debut.
Schweizer was in the lead pack of 12 runners until the final lap, when the pace quickened. Chebet claimed the gold medal in 30:43.25 to complete a sweep of the 5K and 10K races.
The top American was Weini Kelati Frezghi, who passed Schweizer during the last of 25 laps to corral eighth place. Kelati Frezghi ran 30:49.98.
Also competing in Paris for the XXXIII Olympian was Iowa State 2019 NCAA cross country champion Edwin Kurgat. The Kenyan athlete making his Olympics debut finished seventh in the 5,000 final Saturday in 13:17.18. Kurgat was in the main pack with less than two laps remaining when the pace quickened and the Mission Run Dark Sky athlete based in Flagstaff, Ariz., slipped back a little. The winner was Norway's Jakob Ingebrigtsen in 13:13.66, with Kurgat's teammate, Ronald Kwemoi, second in 13:15.04.
During the first round on Wednesday, Kurgat stayed in the main pack and survived a wild heat 1 to advance to the final. Kurgat ran 14:08.76 to place fifth to earn one of eight automatic spots. The winning heat time was 14:08.16.
"I am delighted for the incredible run!" Kurgat wrote on Instagram.
Shifting gears to the Mines of Spain races in Dubuque on Saturday, where the Running Wild Elite men cleaned up in the featured half marathon trail race. Team leader Devin Allbaugh racked up his fourth consecutive victory in 1:21:38. The Bettendorf resident, 34, and former Pleasant Valley prep recorded the third-best time in history, behind his 1:21:03 effort from 2023 and his 1:21:28 from 2022. Taking second was teammate and former Davenport Assumption prep Dan Froeschle, 34, of Davenport in 1:22:13. That time is fifth best in race history. Grabbing third was RWE's Dalton Rice in 1:22:15. Rice, 25, of Davenport is a former Clinton High and Clinton Community College athlete. Ross Salinas, 43, of Iowa City took fourth in 1:27:01. The women's champion was Bettendorf's Melissa Taylor, 38, in 1:44:41. Taylor ran the fifth-best time in race history.
In the four-mile race, Dubuque's Brooke Ferguson, 41, won the title for the third time while finishing second in 33:09. Ferguson owns three of the top four times in race history, with her 33:09 effort coming in fourth all-time. Her 31:17 effort is best in race history.
At the Dusk Hustle 5K on Friday, RWE's Nathan Hopp, 41, of Cedar Rapids grabbed the overall and masters titles with a 15:53 effort. Hopp was 10 seconds ahead of Wartburg College sophomore and former Davenport West prep Camden Kilker, 19, of Walcott. Former Pleasant Valley prep Max Sorgenfrey, 18, of Durant took third in 16:04.
The Adel Sweet Corn Run typically offers a competitive race and Saturday was no exception. Grundy Center 2023 state cross country runner-up Emerson Vokes took the victory in 16:08, topping former Iowa Central standout Karim Benmouais by just one second. ADM (Adel) prep Torin Timmerman rounded out the top three in 16:31. The women's winner was former ADM prep Geneva Timmerman, now at the University of South Dakota, in 18:58.
Bryan Petersen and Sasha Gallagher were the winners at the Nevada XC Alumni Run 5K on Saturday. Petersen ran the cross country course in 16:40.7, while Gallagher took the women's win in 18:17.9.
Finishing last week's results with triathlon, where Corbin Deichman was the winner of the Twin Lakes Triathlon Saturday. Deichman covered the swim in 7:11, the 20K bike in 29:49 and the 5K run in 17:56 to finish with a total time of 55:52. Deichman won by almost six minutes. The women's winner was Shaylyn DeYoung in 1:05:52. DeYoung completed the swim in 7:47, the bike in 35:11 and the run in 21:28.
GOING BACK: Former Waukee High prep Kal Hoppe, now a sophomore at North Central (Ill.) College, took the victory at the Panorama Days 5K on Aug. 3. Hoppe ran 16:15 to win by 1:27.
MISSING A TOP DISTANCE RUNNER OR TRIATHLETE?: Let me know at bergeson@registermedia.com.
Want to hear more about distance running in Iowa. Listen to my podcast here: https://anchor.fm/lance-bergeson8
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Mile posts: Items on Karissa Schweizer, Edwin Kurgat, Devin Allbaugh, Dan Froeschle, Nathan Hopp, Emerson Vokes
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