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Lead Stories: Friday, November 21, 2008

Kenyans Sweep; Khannouchi Frustrated at Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon San Jose

Posted October 15th, 2007 at 4:06 PM by Martha Jones

Section: News & Results, Marathons

Kenyans McDonald Ondara and Magdalene Makunzi won the second annual Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon San Jose on Sunday. Ondara, 23, covered the 13.1-mile course in 1 hour, 1 minute, 11 seconds. Makunzi, 24, broke the tape in 1:09:58.

The men’s race culminated in a sprint to the finish as Ondara, who led the majority of the race, beat the 27-year-old Tanzanian John Yuda by just seconds.

“I was sort of afraid of him,” said Ondara of his closest competitor Yuda. “It was very hard to predict,” Ondara added about planning his final kick.

Yuda managed a smile as he clutched his ribs after the finish from an apparent side stitch.

“It was a good race,” Yuda said. “The course was quick.”

After mile three, the men’s lead pack began to thin out, gradually dropping American Khalid Khannouchi. The four-time Chicago Marathon champion was clearly frustrated with his 1:05:04 finish time.
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