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Saturday, August 8, was a great day in Central Park. The NYRR Team Championships, an annual contest among hundreds of runners representing scores of local teams, is an event where athletes show their pure love of the sport. Thanks to separate women’s and men’s races, crowds of cheering spectators line the course. Afterward, many clubs take group photos and enjoy festive picnics. Go, teams! | ||
| Central Park, August 8, 2009—As hundreds of runners representing dozens of New York-area teams lined up for the NYRR Team Championships, the very air seemed to crackle with energy. The contest is the centerpiece of a yearlong team-points series, and it awards double points to the winners. [More] | |||
 It was 66 degrees with low humidity at the start—not bad for August in NYC. |
 The lead pack ran the first mile in a speedy 4:39—and most of them didn’t let up. |
 Suspense mounted as Bado Worku Merdessa of WSX dueled with WTC’s Stephen Chemlany. |
 Worku Merdessa took the individual title in 23:13. |
 Chemlany was second in 23:15, leading WTC to the team title. |
 Tesfaye Girma of WSX finished third in 23:18. |
 In fourth was WTC’s Demesse Tefera (23:22); he won this race in 2006. |
 Ketema Nigusse, another strong WSX runner, finished fifth in 23:26. |
 Abraham Ng’etich of WTC placed sixth; his time was 23:32. |
 The eighth finisher was WTC’s Daniel Too (23:47). Eight men broke 24:00. |
 Abiyot Endale of WTC was ninth (24:02); he was the 2007 race champion. |
 Fikadu Lemma rounded out the top 10 with a 24:04 clocking. |
 Mathew Kiplagat placed 11th (and seventh for WTC) in 24:06. |
 Former University of Colorado trackster Chris Pannone was 12th in 24:09. |
 WTC’s Derese Deniboba ran 24:17 to place 13th. |
 Teklu Tefera Deneke of WSX, who’s won two NYRR races in the past year, was 14th in 24:19. |
 The age-defying Paul Thompson, 43, ran 25:38. |
 Richard Temerian finished in 28:07 to win his 50+ age group. |
 Joseph Porcaro placed second in the 60+ division in a time of 32:55. |
 Denis Daly, 70, of WTC topped his age group with a 41:30 finish. |
 David Prasse ran 27:36. There’s so much talent in this race that he placed 90th. |
 Ray Biersbach of the Manhattan Track Club finished in 29:33. |
 Kent Edens of the Hoboken Harriers stopped the clock at 32:08. |
 Juan Ramos of Los Compadres Team finished in 32:50. |
 Narasimham Narayana of HHH Hudson Dusters clocked 38:02. |
 Korean Road Runners Club’s Jung Chun crossed the finish line in 41:56. |
 Warwick Ford of the Reservoir Dogs ran 44:27. |
 The Millrose Athletic Association’s Jack Haar, 82, finished in 55:15. |
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