Ben True became the first American since 2007 to win the UAE Healthy Kidney 10-kilometre race on Saturday, beating a field of top athletes that included an Olympic medallist and the marathon world record holder.
The race ended in a photo finish in Central Park, with Mr True and Stephen Sambu of Kenya both finishing at 28 minutes and 33 seconds. Mr True edged over the line ahead of Mr Sambu.
On a hot, humid day, the runners failed to break the race’s four-year-old record of 27 minutes 35 seconds, leaving the US$30,000 (Dh110,170) Zayed Bonus on the table.
“These guys are some of the biggest names in road racing, so any time I’m able to race with Sambu and be anywhere near him I call it a victory,” said Mr True. “It’s a nice confidence boost” ahead of the track and field world championship qualifiers, he said.
Joyce Chepkirui of Kenya was the fastest woman, finishing at 32 minutes 33 seconds.
The race, in its 11th year, had a record turnout. About 13,000 people registered for the 11,000 available spots. About 8,000 runners took part last year, said the organisers.
This year’s professional runners vied for the $25,000 first-place purse, the richest of any 10km race in the world. It is now a qualifying race for professional athletes hoping to compete in the season’s biggest race, the New York City Marathon.
The race, which is sponsored by the UAE Embassy, benefits the National Kidney Foundation (NKF). It began in 2005 as part of the UAE’s public diplomacy initiatives in the United States, and many of them focused on supporting medical research and health awareness. Details