adidas Oregon Track Classic Report
By Ryan Crislip

The women's side of the 12th annual Adidas Oregon Track Classic featured only two events over 400 meters, but produced some exciting results.

Tirunesh Dibaba of Ethiopia outleans Marla Runyan of the U.S. to win the Verizon 5,000 meters. Photo: Victah@Photo Run, click to enlarge

First up was the Verizon 5,000 meters. Toeing the line was a hoard of adidas-sponsored runners including Americans Cheri Kenah, Jen Rhines, Carrie Tollefson, Amy Rudolph, and Katie McGregor. Other American runners on hand were indoor American Record holder and Olympian Marla Runyan, Janet Trujillo, and Priscilla Hein. With two Ethiopian runners, Tirunesh Dibaba and Werknesh Kidane, in the field, the American contingent had some competition up front.

As the gun went off, Tollefson took the lead and passed through the 400 in around 70 seconds. As the field passed 800 in 2:23 they lined up, with Tollefson continuing to lead, Rhines right behind her, and Kenah and Runyan following. At this point Trujillo was in last place. After passing 1,200 in 3:35, Runyan began to move up and at the 1,600 mark (4:48.2) dropped into second place behind Tollefson. Approaching 2,000 meters in 6:05.2, Dibaba and Kidane ran in 4th and 5th, with Rhines falling off the pace. Between 2,000 and 2,400 meters Runyan took the lead from Tollefson, bringing them through in 7:20.6. At this point Rudolph was about 10 meters from the lead pack, with McGregor and Rhines chasing her from another 10 meters back. The leaders passed through 3,000 meters in 9:12.6. 3,200 went by in 9:50.2 and the order was Runyan, Kenah, Dibaba and Kidane, Tollefson - who is falling off the pace, Rudolph, McGregor, and Rhines. The order remained the same over the next several laps as the leaders went through 3,600 in 11:12, 4,000 in 12:19.7, 4,400 in 13:33.7, and 4,800 in 14:43. Down the final straight Runyan kicked hard to stay ahead of Dibaba and was just nipped at the tape by Dibaba, who won in 15:13.78. The top three finished within one second of each other with Runyan second (15:13.96) and Kenah third (15:14.69).

The final distance race for the women was the SoBe 800 meters. Indoor American Record holder Nicole Teter headed the field, looking for a quick time. After a TV time-out the race got underway. Teter took the lead from the gun and pulled the group through in 59.7 at the bell lap. She held onto her lead over Canada's Diane Cummins (barely) and won wire-to-wire, 2:00.52 to 2:00.72.