Ivanova leaves rivals far behind

ALEVTINA IVANOVA (#69)

AGE: 31

CITIZEN OF: Russia

BEST 10K: 31:56

OF NOTE: Finished second at 2005 Beach to Beacon (31:56) after finishing third in 2004 with an identical time. Has been training in Russia. She is a two-time defending champ of the Falmouth, Mass., race and also finished second there in 2003. Her 2005 season included a first at the Crim 10-Miler, second at the Cherry Blossom 10-Miler and Parkersburg Half, third at the Honolulu Marathon and fifth at the Crescent City 10K.

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Staff photo by Shawn Patrick Ouellette

After near misses the previous two years at the Beach to Beacon 10K, Alevtina Ivanova not only won the women's division, but also broke Catherine Ndereba's course record.

CAPE ELIZABETH — She crossed 10 time zones on Thursday, flying to America from a remote region in Russia where she trains at altitude. Saturday, Alevtina Ivanova crossed the finish line at the TD Banknorth Beach to Beacon 10K as the new course-record holder. Ivanova ran a blistering 57 seconds in front of the rest of the elite women's field, finishing in 31 minutes, 25.7 seconds. Five-time winner Catherine Ndereba set the former record of 31:32.8 in 2001.

Ivanova expressed her joy through a translator, fellow Russian Tatyana Chulakh, the seventh-place finisher.

"She's very happy for this time. It is her best time in a 10K," Chulakh said as Ivanova stood alongside her with an impish smile. "This year she's trained only fast and short distances."

Ivanova, no more than five feet tall, threw her hands into the air as she broke the finish tape and depressed her stopwatch. As the remainder of the field came into the finish, Ivanova's feat sunk in.

"It's very impressive. You have eight years of history in this race. It's an important record," said Larry Barthlow, the elite running coordinator. "Alevtina had fresh legs and it made a difference today. She's tough as nails. She has that hard-working Russian attitude."

Kenyan Edna Kipligat finished second in 32:22.7, and Romanian Luminita Talpos was third in 32:26.3.

"She was pushing the pace from the start," said Kipligat. "I knew she was strong but I had to run with my own pace."

Susan Chepkemei of Kenya, the 2004 winner and prerace favorite, came in fourth in 32:39.1. and Romanian Lidia Simon finished fifth in 32:57.5.

Chepkemei won the prestigious Bix 7-Miler in Iowa last week, but said she was tired and couldn't keep Ivanova's pace. She arrived in Maine late Thursday and spent much of Friday sleeping and resting.

"When another runner suspects somebody is vulnerable, they go in with tunnel vision," said race founder Joan Benoit Samuelson. "I really thought Susan, after her performance at Bix, would not be pushed at all. But Alevtina was just very impressive. She just blew away the field."

Ivanova, who finished second last year and third in 2004, flew to the U.S. on Thursday from Cheboksary - a city on the Volga River about 400 miles east of Moscow.

Barthlow said runners sometimes have success by running immediately after a long flight, before their body has time to adjust to jet lag.

Ivanova's translator said her friend had a dream Friday night that she would finish second.

Saturday morning, however, reality took over. Ivanova set a hard pace from the start and simply pulled away.

"I went out with them, but it was a pace I couldn't handle," said American runner Elva Dryer, the sixth-place finisher (32.59.8). "She set a really strong pace, took the lead from the start and ran away with it."

Candace Karu, a contributing editor for Running Times magazine, had a perfect view of the women's race while riding on an official motorcycle in front of the women.

"After the first mile, she surged ahead and kept lengthening her lead. It was really beautiful to see. She did it so easily," said Karu. "The last mile she looked so serene. She was really in a zone. It was lovely to see."

Ivanova even blew past most of the Maine men's runners, whose times often coincide with the elite women. Only top Maine finisher Donny Drake (31:15.8) beat Ivanova.

Ivanova earned $10,000 in prize money for the win and a $2,500 bonus for setting a course record.

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